Looking back as inspiration, looking to the future: successful final meeting of the METEOR and HyDrun projects

On 27^th and 28^th November, representatives from research and industry gathered at the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology (ILK) and the National Lightweight Structures Validation Centre (LEIV) at the Technical University of Dresden to celebrate the successful completion of the METEOR and HyDrun projects. While the first day served as an internal network meeting to reflect on and evaluate the projects, the second day was dedicated to the show casting, which opened the doors to the technological breakthroughs of recent years for more than 90 industry experts.

Network meeting on November 27: review and outlook
The exclusive meeting of the project partners provided an opportunity to acknowledge the results of several years of collaboration. Prof. Gude, member of the ILK Executive Board, opened the day with inspiring words that underlined the importance of the joint commitment and focused on the milestones achieved. The presentations focused on the challenges and successes in the field of resource-saving hybrid production and the development of new technologies for process optimization. A central question was: How can sustainability aspects be taken into account in product development?

A tour of the Johannstadt research campus gave participants an insight into the innovative technologies on site. The evening ended with a joint dinner and a visit to Dresden's Striezelmarkt, which above all provided space to discuss what had been seen.

Demonstration casting on November 28: Experience technologies at first hand
On the second day of the event, over 90 experts from the printing and injection molding technology sector came together to experience the practical results of the METEOR and HyDrun projects live. After a welcoming address by Prof. Gude, the demonstration casting on the DuoCast machine provided an insight into the specific technological achievements:

• HyDrun technology: the combined process of die casting, punching and injection molding was demonstrated live. Tino Mrotzek, Site Manager at LEIV, explained the innovative approach, which both improves material efficiency and significantly shortens production times.
• METEOR technology: highlights included solar-thermal mould temperature control to reduce CO₂ emissions and AI-supported optimization of injection moulding parameters. "With this technology, we are demonstrating how intelligent approaches can not only increase efficiency in production, but also make a measurable contribution to sustainability," explained Moritz Kuhtz, project manager at the ILK. An accompanying life cycle analysis (LCA) also highlighted the sustainable benefits of the processes on show.

© ILK / S. Trute

Lightweight engineering as a driver for a sustainable future
The two-day event underlined the role of research and practice in establishing new standards for resource efficiency and sustainable production. "The METEOR and HyDrun projects clearly show how innovative technologies and interdisciplinary collaboration can lead to groundbreaking progress. In particular, it was possible to create individual utilization for each project partner," concluded Tino Mrotzek.
With strengthened networks and clear goals – such as reducing CO₂ emissions in production by 80% by 2030 – the participants are optimistic about the future. The focus remains on the further development of lightweight structures and the creation of environmentally neutral process networks. The future of manufacturing is sustainable, resilient and competitive.

We would like to thank our METEOR partners:

• KraussMaffei
• technotrans
• Böllhoff Group
• Institute for Product Engineering (IPE) of the University of Duisburg-Essen
• Laboratory for Materials and Joining Technology (LWF) at the University of Paderborn
• Project Management Jülich (PtJ) for the BMWK

and the HyDrun partners:

• Druckguss Service Deutschland GmbH
• H-O-T Härte- und Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co.KG
• INNOVENT e.V. Technology Development Jena
• Hilti Group
• KraussMaffei
• Hydrive Engineering GmbH
• AXIAL INGENIEURE GmbH
• FRIMO Innovative Technologies GmbH
• GK Concept GmbH
• Project Management Jülich (PtJ) for the BMBF

for the insightful cooperation! A big thank you also to all ILK employees involved, especially Moritz Kuhtz and Tino Mrotzek, for the great organization!