Names and dates

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. mult. Klaus Friedrich joined the institute as Research Director, Materials Science, on August 1, 1990. He came from the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg TUHH, where he headed the area of plastics / composites from 1982 to 1990. After joining the IVW he developed the materials science at the institute and established this area as an internationally recognized and renowned research field. Prof. Friedrich retired in 2006.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Haupert became Group Leader in the Department Materials Science in 2002 after graduating and obtaining a doctorate at the TU Kaiserslautern. Besides his extensive activities in the field of tribology he successfully established the field of polymer nano composites and the nano research group. He also lectured at the University of Applied Sciences Pirmasens. In 2010 he left the IVW GmbH and became Managing Director of NanoProfile GmbH. He was appointed as professor of “Constructive Product Design” at the Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences in 2011. 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Huber was Group Leader in the department Design and Analysis from 2002 to 2006 and responsible for the research fields Process Simulation and Crash/Energy Absorption. In addition to his scientific work he held the two-hour lecture “Material and Process Simulation” from 2001 to 2005 at the TU Kaiserslautern. 2006 he became professor at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, faculty Technology and Computer Science, Department Vehicle Technology and Aircraft Construction, teaching Technical Mechanics, Fiber Composite and Sandwich Technology.

Prof. Dr. h.c. József Karger-Kocsis also joined the IVW as Group Leader in the Department Materials Science on August 1, 1990, moving from the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg to Kaiserslautern. Prior to that he was, inter alia, employed with Taurus Hungarian Rubber Works in Budapest, Hungaria. With his numerous, scientifically outstanding works and international publications he also participated significantly in IVW’s Material Science gaining a top ranking position. In 2009 he moved to the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in Hungaria.  

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Neitzel was appointed as Managing Director of the newly founded institute in 1990. Previously he had worked at the TU Hannover and with BASF, where he established a working group in the research area Composites. From 1990 he gradually developed the institute with great success to a significant partner of economy and science. At the end of 2002 he retired.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alois K. Schlarb was awarded a professorship for composites at the TU Kaiserslautern in November 2002 and at the same time appointed as Managing Director of IVW GmbH. He previously had worked in the industry, BASF SE and B. Braun Medical AG, Switzerland, inter alia. Under his leadership the institute was developed further to a customer oriented research institute. In 2009 Prof. Schlarb moved to the TU Kaiserslautern, where he established the new Chair of Composite Engineering.

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ralf Schledjewski worked as research assistant from 1990 to 1996 in the department Materials Science and obtained his doctorate in 1995 at the TU Kaiserslautern. In 1996 he left to work for Wolff Walsrode AG, responsible for the development of technical films. In 2000 he returned to the institute as Group Leader in the department Manufacturing Science, responsible for the areas Press Technology, Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymers, and Winding and Tape Laying Technology, which expanded considerably under his leadership. Since October 1, 2010, he is a professor at the Montanuniversität Leoben and Chair of Processing of Composites. 

Dr.-Ing. Christian Weimer in 2002 became Group Leader in the department Manufacturing Science after graduating and obtaining his doctorate at the TU Kaiserslautern. He managed the field Preparation of Dry Reinforcement Structures, the so-called Preform Technology, and their further processing by modified resin injection methods. He was instrumental in the design and implementation of a demonstration and application center. 2003 he moved to Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH and is now Senior Expert Basic Composite Materials & Processes as well as Department Head of “Production Technologies and Projects” in the area of laboratories, materials, and processes.