Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie

What Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie does

Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie (LWT) is a university research chair within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (Fakultät Maschinenbau) at Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany. The chair conducts applied research and teaching in materials technology across six core areas: thermal spray processes (atmospheric plasma spraying, HVOF, cold gas, and wire arc spraying), PVD technologies (cathodic arc evaporation and magnetron sputtering for nitride, carbide, carbonitride, and DLC coatings), joining manufacturing (vacuum furnace brazing, laser joining of metal-polymer hybrids), powder metallurgy (hot pressing, mechanical alloying, metal matrix composites), materials development/testing/analytics (corrosion, hardness, tribology, microstructure), and non-destructive testing (ultrasonic, X-ray microscopy via the shared Xradia 520 Versa, high-speed thermography, CT). Under the leadership of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Tillmann, LWT operates an applied, industry-oriented research model in which DFG, AiF/IGF, BMWK, and state of NRW grants fund collaborative projects with manufacturing, automotive, and tooling-sector partners.

LWT's portfolio of measurable research outcomes includes a ~20% reduction in process forces through bionic-structured PVD coatings in sheet-bulk metal forming, PVD-based thin-film thermocouples for in-process temperature measurement during machining, and self-healing NiTi-based PVD coatings for diamond composite press tools. The chair shares capital-intensive infrastructure through a DFG-funded Xradia 520 Versa consortium with 12+ partner institutions across TU Dortmund, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, and Universität Duisburg-Essen, and participates in DFG Transregio programs (SFB/TR73 on sheet-bulk metal forming, SFB/TRR30 on thermo-mechanically graded materials). Beyond research, LWT delivers undergraduate and graduate engineering courses and has spawned two digital teaching sub-projects: DigiMatLab Exam (digital materials labs and e-examination formats, 2024-2026) and GamBLe EduCache (cross-university game-based learning with RUB and UDE, 2023-2026).

LWT does not operate a commercial revenue model. Activities are funded through TU Dortmund's institutional budget and competitive public research grants; offerings consist of education (Bachelor/Master engineering courses), contract research and materials testing services for industry partners, and collaborative research with academic institutions, including international exchange (e.g., TOBB University, Turkey) and partnerships with IKV RWTH Aachen. Distribution is channeled through academic publication, conference presentations, an official website, a LinkedIn presence, and direct relationships with regional manufacturing industry partners.

Name

Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie

Legal name

Technische Universität Dortmund

Website

https://lwt.mb.tu-dortmund.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie (LWT) is a public university research chair at TU Dortmund conducting applied materials technology research in thermal spray, PVD, joining, powder metallurgy, and materials testing, serving engineering students, regional manufacturing industry partners, and academic collaborators across the Ruhr region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie is an academic chair at a German technical university conducting research and university teaching in materials technology, with emphasis on surface engineering, coating processes, and materials characterization. It also develops digital educational tools such as DigiMatLab Exam and GamBLe EduCache for materials science instruction.

Product overview

Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie (LWT) is a university research chair at TU Dortmund focused on materials technology research, development, and education. LWT does not offer commercial software products; its offerings consist of digital educational tools and research services. The two named digital offerings are DigiMatLab Exam (digital materials laboratories and e-examination formats) and GamBLe EduCache (game-based geocaching-style learning games). The broader portfolio includes research infrastructure and testing services across six specialized areas: thermal spray processes, PVD technologies, joining manufacturing processes, powder metallurgical processes, materials development/testing/analytics, and non-destructive testing methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DigiMatLab Exam: Digital materials laboratories in teaching and e-examination formats, integrating digital labs into the 'Grundlagen der Werkstofftechnik' interdisciplinary course
• GamBLe EduCache

Products and services

• DigiMatLab Exam

Quantifiable outcome

• Process forces reduced by approximately 20% through surface modification using bionic-structured PVD coatings in sheet-bulk metal forming
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in the GamBLe EduCache project (Game Based Learning with EduCaching), a cross-university teaching innovation project funded by ORCA.nrw and the Ministry of Culture and Science of NRW. RUB contributes expertise in geography didactics through Dr. Klaus Jebbink and historical expertise through Prof. Dr. Juliane Czierpka.
• Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in the GamBLe EduCache project, contributing Prof. Dr. Martin Lang (TD) from UDE. The project involves multiple disciplines across three universities in the Ruhr area.
• TU Dortmund Multiple Chairs and Institutes (Xradia Consortium)coreTechnology or IntegrationConsortium of 12+ partners including Lehrstuhl für Werkstofftechnologie, Institut für Mechanik, Institut für Spanende Fertigung, Fachgebiet Werkstoffprüftechnik, various mathematics and physics chairs, and external partners from RUB and UDE for shared use of the Xradia 520 Versa X-ray microscope acquired through DFG large equipment initiative.
• Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV), RWTH AachenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partnership in the DFG-funded laser joining research (TI 343/170-1) investigating adhesion mechanisms in laser-welded metal-polymer hybrids. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann leads the IKV component.
• TOBB University of Economics & Technology (Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational student exchange partnership hosting Enes Yaprak as a visiting student at LWT, demonstrating international academic collaboration.
• SFB/TRR30 (Transregio 30)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research program on thermo-mechanically graded materials involving TU Dortmund and University of Kassel, with subproject A4 focused on combined PVD and thermal spray coatings.
• SFB/TRR73 (Transregio 73)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on sheet-bulk metal forming involving multiple universities including Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), focused on nanostructured PVD coatings for forming tools.
• Zentrum für HochschulBildung (zhb), TU DortmundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on DigiMatLabExam project developing digital laboratories for teaching and e-examinations in materials technology courses, with Prof. Dr. Liudvika Leišytė as project coordinator.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Erich Schmid Institute of Materials Science (ESI), Austrian Academy of Sciences: ESI conducts fundamental and applied research on microstructure-property relationships and materials characterization. Comparable academic-public research model to LWT, with comparable scale and similar focus on advanced materials characterization techniques.
• RWTH Aachen - Institut für Werkstoffanwendungen im Maschinenbau (IWM): RWTH Aachen's IWM is a materials engineering chair covering surface technology, joining, and tribology — directly comparable to LWT's research scope. LWT already collaborates with RWTH's IKV on laser-joined metal-polymer hybrids, confirming direct peer status.
• TU Munich - Chair of Materials Science and Engineering: TUM's materials engineering chairs cover coating technology, metallurgy, and testing. Comparable as a German university Lehrstuhl focused on materials technology with substantial public-grant funding and PhD output, but operating at a larger scale in southern Germany.
• KIT - Institute for Applied Materials (IAM): Karlsruhe Institute of Technology's IAM conducts research on coatings, joining, and materials characterization. Comparable to LWT in terms of academic-public-grant research model and materials technology focus, with broader disciplinary breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE): MPIE focuses on iron, steel, and related advanced materials research, including surface and coating science. Comparable overlap with LWT's materials technology agenda, positioned in Düsseldorf within the same Ruhr region as LWT.
• Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM): BAM is the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, performing advanced materials characterization, non-destructive testing, and failure analysis. Comparable overlap with LWT's Werkstoffprüfung and Zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren research areas, with broader national scope.
• National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS, Japan): NIMS is Japan's national institute for materials science, performing coating, thin-film, and powder metallurgy research with global industry collaboration. Comparable to LWT in core technical domains, operating with national-scale infrastructure and cross-border industry partnerships.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Materials Science and Technology Division: ORNL conducts large-scale materials characterization, coating, and joining research with major capital infrastructure. Comparable to LWT in R&D methodology and equipment-driven research, but at vastly greater scale and US national-lab funding model.
• EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology): EMPA is Switzerland's federal materials R&D lab working on surface engineering, composites, and joining. Compares to LWT in the applied materials research space, but operates at a much larger scale as a national lab with embedded industry technology-transfer functions.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS): Fraunhofer IWS is Germany's leading applied R&D organization for materials and surface technology, operating thermal spray, PVD, and joining technologies. Directly comparable to LWT's core areas (Werkstofftechnologie) but with significantly larger scale, multiple sites, and an explicit industry-contract research model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lehrstuhl-f%C3%BCr-werkstofftechnologie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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