Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems

What Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems does

The Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems (IFAS) is a public research institute within RWTH Aachen University's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, headquartered at Campus-Boulevard 30, Aachen, with an additional test hall and seminar facility on Steinbachstraße. Founded in 1952 from W. Backé's fluid power lectures, IFAS is organized into eight research groups covering Mobile Machines, Smart Systems, High-Performance Components, Tribology, Fluids, Gas- and Microsystems, supported by dedicated IT, mechanical workshop, electronics, and experimental laboratory functions. Under Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katharina Schmitz, who holds the Robert E. Koski Medal and Joseph Bramah Medal, the institute pursues applied research in hydraulics, pneumatics, tribology, and the digitalization of fluid power systems.

IFAS produces both research output and commercial-adjacent offerings. Its technical portfolio includes the proprietary ifas-DDS dynamic sealing simulation model built on Abaqus, the PINN-based Fast EHD SiML elastohydrodynamic simulation module, and the patented S-LEAP pneumatic quick-exhaust valve. Knowledge-transfer products encompass four long-running lecture-note series (Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Mobile Applications, Servohydraulics), professional training courses in fluid power, and access to extensive component and system test benches. The institute disseminates findings through more than 1,700 publications, the biennial International Fluid Power Conference (IFK), recurring Industry Colloquia, and partnerships with the Fördervereinigung Fluidtechnik and the Global Fluid Power Society.

The institute is funded through a combination of state allocation from the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia, competitive research grants (DFG Collaborative Research Center SFB/TRR280 Phase 2, EU EFRE/JTF NRW 2021–2027, NRW Patent Validation), and project-based industry cooperation with named partners including Bosch Rexroth, Festo, Parker Hannifin, CLAAS, XCMG, and Trelleborg. There is no commercial ownership or external parent; IFAS operates under the university's public governance framework, with revenue mechanics resembling a grant-funded research organization rather than a venture-backed enterprise.

Name

Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems

Legal name

RWTH Aachen University

Website

https://ifas.rwth-aachen.de

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems (IFAS) is a public research institute at RWTH Aachen University conducting applied research in hydraulics, pneumatics, tribology, and fluid power digitalization, serving industrial OEMs and graduate students through projects, training, and publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fluid Power Engineering Research

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAHAGAB

Hydraulic Power Units & Systems (HPUs, Manifolds, Integrated Circuits)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Fluid Power & Motion Control Equipment

SECONDARYEDAOAHAF

Hydraulics & Pneumatics Systems

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics & Robotics

Keywords

• Fluid power research
• Hydraulic systems engineering
• Pneumatic systems research
• Tribology research
• Fluid power training

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Funded by German government research programs including SFB/TRR280 (Collaborative Research Center), NRW Patent Validation Program, and European Union EFRE/JTF program NRW 2021-2027
2. Industry Cooperation Projects: Cooperation projects with industry partners including research collaborations, test field services, and consulting
3. Lecture Notes and Publications Sales: Sale of lecture notes and publications through the institute's publication office
4. Training and Professional Education: Fluid power training programs in hydraulics and pneumatics offered through the institute

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IFAS conducts fundamental and applied research in fluid power technology including hydraulics, pneumatics, tribology, high-performance components, smart systems, and gas/microsystems. It offers research cooperation projects with industry partners, test field services using extensive component and system test benches, professional training courses in hydraulics and pneumatics, and educational lecture notes and textbooks.

Product overview

The Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems (IFAS) is a research institute at RWTH Aachen University offering educational publications (lecture notes and textbooks on hydraulics, pneumatics, servohydraulics, and mobile fluid power), professional training courses, and research test facilities. The institute develops specialized research tools and participates in collaborative Industry 4.0 initiatives. Core offerings include comprehensive lecture notes (Fundamentals of Fluid Power Parts 1 and 2, Fluid Power for Mobile Applications, Servohydraulics), a patented quick-start valve system (S-LEAP), AI-enhanced EHD simulation software (Fast EHD SiML), and extensive testing infrastructure for components and systems. Research focuses span mobile machines, smart systems, high-performance components, tribology, fluids, and gas/microsystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fundamentals of Fluid Power Part 1: Hydraulics (2nd edition, 2018) Comprehensive textbook covering the entire field of hydraulics, including hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, flow calculations, component design, and basic hydraulic circuits. Available for purchase from the IFAS publication office.
• Fundamentals of Fluid Power Part 2: Pneumatics

Quantifiable outcome

• Computation time reduction from 1.2 seconds to 4ms for EHD seal simulations using PINNs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Fluid Power CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026IFAS organizes the International Fluid Power Colloquium (IFK) every two years since 1998, bringing together researchers and industry professionals from around the world to share knowledge and developments in fluid power technology
• Fördervereinigung Fluidtechnik e.V. (Society for the Advancement of Fluid Power Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit society supporting fluid power research and education; co-organizes Industry Colloquium events and provides platform for networking between academia and industry
• Global Fluid Power Society (GFPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational society promoting fluid power technology; supports knowledge exchange and research collaboration globally
• Fluid Power Industry Consortium (Fluid 4.0 Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry consortium including fluid power manufacturers, machine builders, system integrators, and end users collaborating on Industry 4.0 implementation for fluid power technology - developing digital twins, admin shells, and data spaces
• SFB/TRR280 (Collaborative Research Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded research collaboration with multiple universities and research institutions in 2nd funding phase - focuses on gas and microsystems research

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Maha Fluid Power Research Center, Purdue University: Premier US university fluid power research consortium with similar industry-sponsored model, extensive testing infrastructure, and OEM partnerships; operates as a near-direct academic counterpart to IFAS.
• Aalto University (Mechanical Engineering): Finnish research university with strong mechanical engineering and energy efficiency focus; competes for EU Horizon and national research funding in adjacent fluid power and mechatronics domains.
• ETH Zurich (Mechanical and Process Engineering): Top-tier European technical university with active tribology and fluid power research groups; comparable talent output and industry-aligned applied research portfolio.
• Tampere University (Hydraulics and Automation): Nordic university group with long-standing fluid power, automation, and tribology research, comparable talent pipeline, and parallel industry cooperation model.
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Mech. Engineering): European technical university with active fluid power and tribology research, similar publicly-funded research institute structure, and industrial sponsorship patterns.

Broad incumbents

• Festo SE & Co. KG: Global pneumatics and automation manufacturer with dedicated research arm and education division (Festo Didactic); directly collaborates with IFAS on pneumatic efficiency research.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU): German applied research organization with overlapping production technology and digitalization focus; shares the German public R&D ecosystem and industry partner base.
• Parker Hannifin Corporation: Major motion and control technologies manufacturer with valve, condition monitoring, and sealing research; IFAS partner and comparable global fluid power R&D investor.
• Linde Hydraulics GmbH & Co. KG: German-based hydraulic component and system manufacturer with significant in-house R&D and historical ties to academic fluid power research in Germany.
• Bosch Rexroth AG: World-leading fluid power manufacturer and IFAS industry partner; operates substantial in-house R&D that competes for the same talent pool and industry mindshare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ifas_rwth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0vIq8jtra8E_--Sx8DALkQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/IFAS-Institut-f%C3%BCr-fluidtechnische-Antriebe-und-Systeme-260714043957873
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifas
• Instagraminstagram.com/ifas_rwth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems