Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW), TU Clausthal

What Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW), TU Clausthal does

The Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW), also known as the Fritz-Süchting-Institut für Maschinenwesen, is an academic research and teaching institute of Technische Universität Clausthal (TU Clausthal), a public university in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has operated since 1912 and has occupied its current building since 1929. The institute is organized around two endowed chairs: Machine Elements and Engineering Design (held by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Armin Lohrengel since 2007) and Integrated Product Development (held by Prof. Dr.-Ing. David Inkermann since 2021), supported by approximately 20+ research associates, a senior academic advisor, two secretarial staff, an IT administrator, and a precision mechanics workshop team. Its core "products" are seven specialized research facilities — the Drive Train Center (tension test rigs up to 1 MW, torsional vibration rigs up to 500 kNm, combined rotating bending/torsion rigs, temperature chambers from -70°C to 180°C), the Rope Drive Center (spooling and transverse elasticity rigs for 12–100mm rope diameters), the Acoustic Lab, the Additive Manufacturing Lab (EOS metal printing, thermoplastic prototyping), the Measuring Lab (ZEISS, CREAFORM, KEYENCE, OLYMPUS, HBM/Gantner/imc measurement systems), the Simulation & Virtual Engineering Lab (CATIA V5, Creo Parametric, ANSYS with HPC, ABAQUS, EON Studio VR), and the Biomechanics Lab with a custom-designed ergometer. Research outputs span shaft-hub connections, rope drives, clutches, pressure comb bearings, machine acoustics, MBSE, AI-augmented engineering, circular economy, and digital twins. The institute does not sell commercial products; it is funded through state appropriations, BMBF and VolkswagenStiftung research grants, ZDIN transfer projects, and industry-sponsored student projects with partners including Volkswagen AG, Siemens AG, IAV GmbH, Piller Blowers & Compressors GmbH, Isotronic GmbH, SincoTec Group, and Lasco Umformtechnik GmbH. Its "customers" are TU Clausthal students (B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and Intelligent Manufacturing) and the consortium of industrial and academic partners engaged in collaborative R&D.

Name

Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW), TU Clausthal

Legal name

Fritz-Süchting-Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW), TU Clausthal

Website

https://imw.tu-clausthal.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMW is a public university research institute at TU Clausthal operating two mechanical-engineering chairs and seven specialized labs (Drive Train, Rope Drive, Acoustic, Additive Manufacturing, Measuring, Simulation & VR, Biomechanics), delivering teaching to mechanical engineering students and collaborative R&D to industrial partners through funded consortia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Mechanical Engineering Research and Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Engineering Services (541330), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC), Test, Measurement & Calibration Equipment Manufacturing Services (ATE, DAQ, metrology electronics) (IMAGAGAH), Process & Application Development (DfAM, Parameter Development) (IMAAAJAF), Emerging Tech & Specialized Computing (IoT, Edge, AR/VR, Blockchain, HPC) (EDABAFAO)

Keywords

• Mechanical engineering research
• Machine elements testing
• Integrated product development
• University research institute
• Engineering education

Headquarters

HQ city

Clausthal-Zellerfeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public university funding: As a department of Technische Universität Clausthal (a public university), IMW is funded through German federal and state government education and research budgets, third-party research grants from BMBF, lower saxony state ministry, and VolkswagenStiftung, and industry project collaborations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW) is a university research institute of TU Clausthal that conducts fundamental and applied research and provides university-level teaching in mechanical engineering across two chairs: Machine Elements and Engineering Design (Maschinenelemente und Konstruktionslehre) and Integrated Product Development (Integrierte Produktentwicklung). Its portfolio includes specialized engineering testing and research services through seven dedicated laboratories (Drive Train Center, Rope Drive Center, Acoustic Lab, Additive Manufacturing Lab, Measuring Lab, Simulation & Virtual Engineering Lab, Biomechanics Lab), academic degree programs, student research projects, and collaborative industry-sponsored R&D spanning shaft-hub connections, rope drives, clutches, pressure comb bearings, machine acoustics, MBSE, AI-augmented engineering, and circular economy.

Product overview

The Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW) is a university research institute within TU Clausthal comprising two academic chairs and seven specialized research laboratories. The two chairs—Machine Elements and Engineering Design (Prof. Lohrengel) and Integrated Product Development (Prof. Inkermann)—conduct research and provide teaching in mechanical engineering. The research infrastructure includes the Drive Train Center, Rope Drive Center, Acoustic Lab, Additive Manufacturing Lab, Measuring Lab, Simulation & Virtual Engineering Lab, and Biomechanics Lab. A student workshop called TUCreate enables hands-on prototyping. The institute focuses on machine elements, product development, circular economy, digital transformation, and AI-augmented engineering. This is not a commercial product company; it is an academic research and teaching institute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chair of Machine Elements and Engineering Design (Maschinenelemente und Konstruktionslehre) Academic research and teaching unit focused on shaft-hub connections, rope drives, clutches, design for X, process engineering machines, machine acoustics, and pressure comb bearings. Led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Armin Lohrengel. For students, doctoral researchers, and industry partners.
• Chair of Integrated Product Development (Integrierte Produktentwicklung) Academic research and teaching unit focused on reflective and collaborative engineering practices, intelligent and model-based systems engineering, and circular systems and lifecycle engineering. Led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. David Inkermann. For students, doctoral researchers, and industry partners.
• Drive Train Center Experimental investigation facility for shaft-hub connections, couplings, freewheels, and pressure comb bearings. Features seven tension test rigs up to 1 MW, six torsional vibration test rigs up to 500 kNm, two combined rotating bending/torsion test rigs, a Maximator high-pressure hub-joining system, a temperature chamber from -70°C to 180°C, and specialized freewheel and pressure comb bearing test rigs. Used for student research projects and industry-collaborative R&D.
• Rope Drive Center Experimental investigation of rope-rope drum systems for conveyor applications. Includes spooling test rig with hydraulic drive (up to 300 kN rope tensile force, 40 m/min) and electric drive (up to 30 kN, 15 m/min) for rope diameters 12-32mm, transverse elasticity test rig, mobile transverse tester for diameters 32-100mm, and laser scanners for winding pattern analysis. Used for student research and industry testing.
• Acoustic Lab Experimental investigation of machine dynamics and acoustic properties of structures. Equipped with electrodynamic shakers (1 kN, 200 N, 10 N), rotary laser vibrometer, fine balancing device, intensity measuring probe, free-field microphones, CAE Intensity Inspector for sound source localization, and a low-noise measuring room. Used for student research and industry testing.
• Additive Manufacturing Lab Complete rapid prototyping and rapid tooling process chain including EOS rapid tooling system for metallic prototypes and tools, Turbula T2F powder mixer, DIMENSION BST 768 for thermoplastic prototypes, sandblasting cabin, Magics RP data preparation, and CREAFORM HandySCAN 3D scanner. Used for student prototyping and research projects.
• Measuring Lab Equipment for stress determination, geometry measurement, surface analysis, and thermographic examinations. Includes ZEISS UMM550 coordinate measuring machine, CREAFORM Handyscan 3D optical scanner, KEYENCE VK-X 100K 3D laser scanning microscope, OLYMPUS DSX1000 digital microscope, MAHR MarSurf XR20 roughness device, TESTO 890 thermographic camera, and HBM/Gantner/IMC measurement systems with up to 40 channels and telemetry. Used for student and industry measurement projects.
• Simulation & Virtual Engineering Lab CAD/CAM systems (CATIA V5, Creo Parametric), numerical simulation tools (ANSYS with HPC option, ABAQUS, Creo Simulate), virtual reality workstations with stereoscopic display and gesture control (EON Studio), and compute servers networking 160 computers. Supports student simulation exercises and industry collaborative simulation projects.
• Biomechanics Lab Investigation of the relationship between physiological performance and mechanical power output. Features a self-constructed ergometer with adjustable saddle height, horizontal distance from handlebars/saddle to crank, and height adjustment; capabilities for stress measurement, ergospirometry, and electrocardiogram. Used for student research and doctoral projects.
• TUCreate student workshop Student workshop providing access to 3D printers, milling machines, and laser cutters for realizing student project ideas. Open to TU Clausthal students for hands-on prototyping experience.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KG4MBSE Consortium (L3S Hannover, Volkswagen AG, IAV GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Knowledge Management and Model Reuse in Model-based Systems Engineering using Knowledge Graphs (KG4MBSE) is a ZDIN transfer project led by Prof. Inkermann at IMW, in cooperation with L3S Hannover, Volkswagen AG, and IAV GmbH. Enables knowledge reuse from existing system models in new development projects through an ontology-based approach.
• KI-P3 Consortium (Institute for Factory Systems and Logistics, Leibniz Universität Hannover)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025AI-supported Product and Process Planning for Multi-variant Products (KI-P3) is a ZDIN transfer project involving the Chair of Integrated Product Development at IMW and the Institute for Factory Systems and Logistics at Leibniz Universität Hannover. Enables companies to adapt product and process planning with AI to changing market conditions.
• Zukunftslabor Circular Economy consortium (DIGIT, TU Clausthal + partner universities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2024Funded with 3.7 million euros by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and the VolkswagenStiftung, this interdisciplinary project involves TU Clausthal (IMW, ISSE), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Leibniz University Hannover, and Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, working with industry partners Volkswagen AG and Siemens AG. Focuses on sustainable digital solutions for circular economy.
• RePASE Consortium (TU Braunschweig, TU Clausthal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Reflexive Process Development and Adaptation in Advanced Systems Engineering (RePASE) is a BMBF-funded joint research project (02J19B149) involving TU Braunschweig (Institute for Construction Technology, Prof. Vietor; Institute for Psychology, Prof. Kauffeld) and TU Clausthal (IMW, Prof. Inkermann). The project develops approaches for reflexive process development in advanced systems engineering. Project meeting held at IMW in Clausthal in 2024.
• Piller Blowers & Compressors GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual industry partner for the 'Entwicklungsmethodik' course project in WS 2025/26. Students develop concepts for rotor assembly/disassembly of permanent magnet synchronous machines under magnetic clamping. The company hosts student excursions and provides prizes for the best design solutions.
• Isotronic GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner providing project assignments for the 'Entwicklungsmethodik' course. Students develop inspection systems for tubular glass packaging. Company arranged student excursion to Müller + Müller – Joh. GmbH & Co. KG (customer site) and provides prize for the best student solution.
• SincoTec GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadquartered in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, SincoTec Group presented its testing systems and services at the Intelligent Manufacturing seminar (WiSe 2024/25), covering automotive and medical technology sectors. Potential for future joint projects and cooperation discussed.
• IAV GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering services provider in the automotive sector presented its digital engineering and powertrain systems portfolio at the Intelligent Manufacturing seminar. Potential for future student projects and collaborations explored.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TU München — Chair of Product Development (MWB): Leading German mechanical engineering department with comparable product development and machine elements research; well-funded peer competing for the same industrial partners and grant funding.
• TU Dresden — Institute of Machine Elements (IME): Comparable German university institute researching machine elements, drivetrain technology, and engineering design — overlapping with IMW's first chair scope.
• KIT — Institute of Product Engineering (IPEK): Major German research institute covering product engineering, design methodology, and mechatronics — overlapping research scope with IMW's Machine Elements and Integrated Product Development chairs.
• RWTH Aachen — Institute of General Mechanical Engineering (IGM): Comparable German university institute focused on machine elements, product development, and applied mechanical engineering research with industry partners. Closest analog in scope (machine elements + product development) and operating model (public research + teaching).
• TU Darmstadt — Institute for Product Management and Technology (PdTU): Comparable German university institute researching integrated product development, systems engineering, and digital engineering methods — directly overlapping with IMW's second chair research area.
• TU Braunschweig — Institute of Engineering Design (IK): Direct peer within the Lower Saxony technical university ecosystem; collaborates with IMW on the BMBF RePASE project. Comparable research in machine elements and product development methods.
• Leibniz Universität Hannover — Institute of Machine Elements and Engineering Design (IMKT): Regional Lower Saxony peer institute focused on machine elements and gear technology; comparable scope on mechanical components and tribology and direct collaborator on multiple consortia.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU): Larger applied research organization with broader scope across production technology, machine elements, and digital engineering — overlaps with IMW's testing and additive manufacturing capabilities but operates as a much larger national institute with multiple locations.

Emerging players

• TU Dortmund — Institute of Product and Service Engineering (IPSE): German university institute with overlapping research in integrated product development, MBSE, and design methodology — comparable but somewhat smaller scope than IMW's combined chairs.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF: Adjacent Fraunhofer institute with strong overlap on drivetrain testing, structural durability, and experimental stress analysis — relevant peer for benchmarking IMW's Drive Train Center and Measuring Lab capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TUClausthal
• Facebookfacebook.com/TU.Clausthal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-f%C3%BCr-maschinenwesen-imw-tu-clausthal
• Instagraminstagram.com/tuclausthal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institut für Maschinenwesen (IMW), TU Clausthal