Jul 16, 2026
ILA Berlin 2026: ILK presents Hybrid IMC as a technology demonstrator for innovative lightweight design solutions
ILK team at ILA Berlin 2026 at the ILK booth (from left to right): Christian Hild und Alexander Koepp.
The ILA Berlin is one of Europe's leading aerospace trade fairs, providing companies and research institutions with a key platform for exchanging ideas on the latest technological developments and innovations. The ILK exhibited together with the Competence Center for Aerospace Engineering Saxony/Thuringia (LRT) and other Saxon companies and research institutions at the joint booth of Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH.
Hybrid IMC exhibit at the ILK booth with Christian Hild.
The centerpiece of the ILK's exhibition was the Hybrid Intermediate Engine Casing (Hybrid IMC), developed in collaboration with Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. and presented as a technology demonstrator for innovative lightweight design solutions. The intermediate engine casing serves as the structural interface between the engine and the aircraft fuselage and its mounting system, making it one of the most highly loaded components of an aircraft engine. Through extensive development efforts and close collaboration within the project consortium, its weight was reduced by 20% compared with the metallic reference structure.
The component illustrates the ILK's current research and development activities in the field of aerospace applications. It was developed within the framework of the PEP 4.0 project, funded under the German Federal Aeronautics Research Programme (LuFo) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and managed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as the project management agency (funding reference: 20X1717B).
ILK team at ILA Berlin 2026 at the ILK booth (from left to right): Dr. Tino Wollmann, Christian Hild, Prof. Maik Gude, Dr. Albert Langkamp.
The presentation of the Hybrid IMC provided visitors with direct insight into the ILK's latest research results. At the same time, ILA Berlin 2026 offered numerous opportunities for professional exchange with representatives from industry, academia, and government. These discussions generated valuable starting points for future collaborations and the further advancement of research activities at the ILK.