Impetus for Extrusion and Light Metal Research in Southern Germany
STEP-G GmbH in Vogt provided the setting for a two-day meeting that once again brought the extrusion community together. Fifty-five experts from industry, research, and academia took the opportunity to present their latest findings, discuss challenges, and develop common perspectives. 

Technical Presentations at the Light Metal Working Group
Chaired by Dr. Thomas Herding (Hydro), the meeting of the Working Group Light Metal on the first day offered three technically sound insights into key issues in aluminum research: 

• Crystallographic structure of AlMgSi alloys
  Dr. Philipp Goik explained analysis methods and discussed results for different textures. He also presented a model for microstructure development during extrusion.
• Composite extrusion of polymer materials and aluminum
  Patrick Schindler (IUL, TU Dortmund) presented test results on material combinations and varying process temperatures. Sample parts illustrated the results achieved.
• Profile temperature measurement with Ulbrich sphere
  Tobias Stenzel (FZS, TU Berlin) presented an innovative measuring device that was installed on the institute's press. Initial results compared to reference measurements were positive. Further tests with different alloys are planned. 

The first day ended with a relaxed dinner hosted by STEP-G. 

Day Two: Meeting of the Extrusion Expert Committee
The meeting of the Expert Committee Extrusion was moderated by Horst Gers (HAI). At the beginning, STEP-G Managing Director Stefan Knabben gave an overview of the current situation in the European extrusion industry. Declining order intake from the automotive industry and decreasing availability of recycled aluminum scrap are key challenges. At the same time, the transport sector remains stable with a share of around 50 percent. 

Additional impetus came from Rüdiger Franke (Fehrmann Materials), who presented the MatGPT AI platform. The application combines specialized databases with proprietary data sources and opens up new avenues for data-driven materials development. 

Reports From the Working Groups
 

• Light Metal Working Group
  Dr. Thomas Herding reported on the last two meetings with around 40 participants from 15 press shops, universities, research institutions, and supplier companies. Topics included updating the error catalog, higher-strength 6000 series alloys, and advances in extrusion simulation.
• Heavy Metal Working Group
  Dr. Sören Müller reported on the work of the working group heavy metal extrusion products (21 members). The focus was on the development of magnetic materials, the substitution of natural gas in melting furnaces, bridge tools for hollow profiles, and the use of Conform technology. 

Election of a New Chair
After 18 years as chair, Horst Gers handed over the leadership of the Extrusion Technical Committee. The participants unanimously elected Dr. Sören Müller (FZS, TU Berlin) as the new chair. Hier noch den zusätzlichen Text hin 

Factory Tour and Conclusion
At the end of the event, the participants were given an insight into production at the Vogt site. STEP-G not only produces extruded profiles there, but also machined components for the automotive industry. Of particular interest were the production lines for battery system terminal strips, which comprise a total of 37 automated CNC systems. 

A big thank you to all the speakers, participants, and the team at our host STEP-G for the excellent organization. 

Information on all expert committees can be found on the DGM website at https://dgm.de/en/network. 

If you are interested in actively participating in one of the committees, please send us a short email to fachgremiendgm.de.