Scientist receives prestigious PhD Sustainability Bursary Award 2025
As part of the "FAST" LuFo project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, the project participants came together for a status meeting on 4 July to discuss the progress made so far and coordinate the next steps. The aim of the project is to set new standards for the environmentally friendly aviation of the future - through extremely fast, digitally networked manufacturing processes for components for hybrid-electric drive systems.
Rolls-Royce Germany is taking on the role of consortium leader in the project and is coordinating the collaboration between the industrial and research partners involved. In this context, the Chair of Hybrid Manufacturing (FHF) at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg is researching the accelerated production of titanium components (Ti-6Al-4V) using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) in particular. The aim is to significantly shorten the development cycle from requirements definition to component analysis without compromising on the quality and operational reliability of the components.
Special attention was paid in the project to the validation of mechanical properties and surface quality - key criteria for aviation approval. Through targeted optimisations, including support structures and process parameters, the L-PBF process was accelerated by an impressive 270%. At the same time, the energy required to process the material was significantly reduced - an important step towards more sustainable production.
However, the project is by no means finished: FAST will run for a total duration of four years and will continue until August 2026. During the remaining project period, many key results still need to be demonstrated on realistic functional prototypes and further refined in order to prepare for transfer to industrial applications.
Research work honoured internationally
The results of the project to date have already been recognised internationally: Felix Jensch, research associate in the Hybrid Manufacturing chair, was awarded the prestigious PhD Sustainability Bursary Award 2025 for his work on the FAST project. The award honours young researchers for innovative contributions in the field of "Engineering which benefits the Environment".
The award ceremony took place on 14 May 2025 at the Rolls-Royce Learning & Development Centre in Derby, UK. In a festive setting, the achievements of young talents in the field of sustainable technology were honoured - framed by keynote speeches and an exclusive insight into the Rolls-Royce Heritage Centre. The award emphasises the high international status of the work of the Hybrid Manufacturing chair at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and the relevance of the FAST project for the sustainable aviation of tomorrow.