Technology and Chemnitz - they simply belong together. As early as the 19th and 20th centuries, technical developments in machine, plant, equipment and vehicle construction conquered the world markets, earning Chemnitz a reputation as the "Saxon Manchester". From 1877, products were protected from imitation by German patent law, drafted by the then Mayor of Chemnitz, Dr. Wilhelm André. From the very beginning - since 1836 - the Royal Industrial College provided sufficient young professionals in technical professions. The trade school has since become Chemnitz University of Technology. Today, not all of its graduates seek employment - young technology companies are regularly founded by students and employees. Just like at the Freiberg Mining Academy and the universities in Mittweida and Zwickau.
Smooth and shiny in seconds - plasmotion GmbH
Even if rust is sometimes considered shabby chic, metallic surfaces should usually be as clean and shiny as possible. Plasma polishing in electrolyte baths is a process that creates clean surfaces of high quality, but is limited in terms of workpiece size, internal contours or precise surface requirements. A Freiberg team combined the strengths of plasma polishing with the freedom of a jet-based process. The plasma-electrolytic metal removal is used locally exactly where it is needed.
The innovation, called JETPEP, enables both the processing of large and complex components and the precise adjustment of the required surface roughness, making machine polishing possible even in places where manual work was previously required. The process is already used for stainless steels and
tool steels and is being continuously expanded by plasmotion for the entire range of materials from titanium, copper, aluminum, brass to CoCr, precious metals, Invar, Nitinol and many more. In the course of an EXIST research transfer, the spin-off from the TU Bergakademie was successfully founded with the support of SAXEED Freiberg. In 2023, the Wissensfabrik Unternehmen für Deutschland e.V. association, in collaboration with UnternehmerTUM and Handelsblatt, named plasmotion GmbH one of the ten most innovative young companies in Germany in the Weconomy Award - giving the Freiberg start-up access to mentoring sessions with top managers from the largest German companies.
Source: City for makers, issue 2024 #3
