In an interview with K-MAG, Dr Christian Garthaus talks about the extent to which the composite profiles can be customised, what advantages this has and how the environment in particular benefits from it.
Dr Garthaus, in 2018, you founded herone as a spin-off from the Technische Universität Dresden. How did that come about?
Dr Christian Garthaus: After several years of research at the TU Dresden, my colleagues Daniel Barfuß, Alexander Rohkamm and I decided to bring our developments into commercial use independently for customers who were already interested. At that time, we had already been working for many years with well-known industrial customers who showed strong interest in industrialisation. This was the first time the idea came up. With the help of the EXIST research transfer programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, high-tech start-up projects that involve complex and risky development work are funded. This programme enabled us to make the transition from research to self-employment. After six months, we then founded herone GmbH.
You offer composite profiles that are tailor-made. What does that mean exactly? How do you achieve that?
Garthaus: By customised composite profiles we mean the individual integration of additional functions directly into the component – during the manufacturing process. For example, our herone technology combined with the unique properties of thermoplastics allows us to integrate force-transmitting elements such as gears or threads made of the same matrix material directly into the composite component. This makes the component lighter and more robust and at the same time saves the number of process steps required and thus costs. By integrating standardised interfaces, such as the thread, we offer an easy way to use the components and thus to exploit the potential of the lead component.
Where exactly are your products used?
Garthaus: Our cost-efficient fibre composite profiles are used where loads, movements or liquids are transmitted and particularly high demands are placed on the material, such as pressure, temperature or force transmission. In addition to resistance, the components often have to be particularly light. This is particularly in demand in the aerospace, medical technology, sports or automotive sectors.
Currently, our team of 13 mainly aerospace engineers and lightweight constructors is working, for example, on prestressed engine compartment struts and innovative hydrogen fuel lines for emission-free flying in the future. Basically, many areas of application are conceivable for our products.