Thomas Hess and Franz Balluff from the Coating Systems and Painting Technology department at Fraunhofer IPA were awarded the Otto von Guericke Prize 2023 on November 15 in Berlin. The two scientists had applied for the award with their work on "Determining the structure-property relationships of paints for application using overspray-free and selective painting technology". The researchers investigated paint properties for droplet generation and developed specifications for paints and nozzles with the aims of multi-color painting, selective corrosion protection and complete overspray avoidance.
The AiF research associations have the opportunity to submit proposals each year. A jury consisting of members of the Scientific Council (WR) of the AiF initially selects three finalist teams from the proposals received, which have convinced the jury with a particularly high gain in knowledge, but also with the great economic significance of the results for medium-sized companies. The jury then selects the winning team from among them. The Otto von Guericke Award is presented at an event.