The team of IwF GmbH stands out due to the young professionals, who drive the concept of tool-free production in its further development through curiosity and innovative thinking. Due to the close cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Aachen, especially with the GoetheLab for Additive Manufacturing and the Aachen Centre for 3D Printing, it is possible to convey and support not only the theory, but above all the practice in an industry-oriented way.

The team focuses on “metal” and “plastics” in additive production. In addition to material and feasibility studies, AM-compatible design and optimization in the process chain of the laser beam melting process are important fields of activity in the metal sector. In addition to process development and customer-related contract research, the plastics group is also responsible for the design, development and optimization of 3D printers.

Unser Team des IwF - Institut für werkzeuglose Fertigung GmbH

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Gebhardt

Partner and Managing Director

+49 (0) 241 6009 52500

The university professor Prof. Dr.-Ing Andreas Gebhardt will be happy to advise you in the area of research and development. He is a leader in the research field of additive manufacturing processes and draws on many years of experience in research, teaching and practice.

After studying mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen), 1973-1978, and obtaining his doctorate “summa cum laude” at RWTH Aachen University (1986), he was Managing Director of Erasmus & Willms Motorentechnik GmbH & Co KG in Aachen from 1986-1992 and, overlapping from 1991, also Managing Director of LASER Bearbeitungs- und Beratungszentrum NRW GmbH, LBBZ-NRW, Aachen as part of a research project on laser hardening of crankshafts.

In this position, he began to deal with what was then known as rapid prototyping, the generative manufacturing processes. In the course of research and development in this new field, 147 relevant publications were published in Germany and abroad up to the year 2000, including the Hanser reference book “Additive Manufacturing Processes: Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing for Prototyping – Tooling – Production” (5th edition 2016, 736 pages) and the more compact version “3D Printing: Basics and Applications of Additive Manufacturing (AM) (2nd edition 2016, 234 pages).

Since 1996 he has been managing director of CP-Centrum für Prototypenbau GmbH, Erkelenz, a service provider for generatively manufactured prototypes with 50 employees, which was founded from LBBZ-NRW GmbH. In the course of projects for the introduction of generative processes, e.g. in Bangalore, India, he was appointed by UNIDO, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, as an “International Expert on Rapid Prototyping”. In 2000, he was appointed professor for “High-performance processes in manufacturing technology and additive manufacturing” at the University of Applied Sciences Aachen.

Dr.-Ing. Julia Kessler

Partner and Managing Director

+49 (0) 241 8906 665

Dr. Julia Kessler studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Product Development. From 2012 to 2017 she worked as a research assistant in the research group “GoetheLab for Additive” Manufacturing at the University of Applied Sciences Aachen. Since 2016 she has headed the team of the GoetheLab, which deals with the additive production of metals, plastics and ceramics. Julia Kessler has been intensively involved in the conception of a course of study for digital dental technology and led a research project on jaw augmentation. Together with Laura Thurn, she initiated and implemented the “FabBus” project, a mobile 3D printing laboratory. Julia Kessler and her colleague Laura Thurn also jointly implemented an online module “Additive manufacturing/3D printing”. In the context of her doctorate, Ms. Kessler worked on the design optimization and additive production of bionic lattice structures made of titanium and stainless steel, as well as new fields of application for these construction elements. She successfully completed her doctorate in October 2017. Julia Kessler took over the management of IwF GmbH in 2015 as a sideline and has been full-time since October 2017.

Dr. Alexander Schwarz

Head of Construction

+49 (0) 212 382 429 58

After completing his training as a technical assistant for materials science and metallography, Dr. Alexander Schwarz first earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree with a specialization in development and design and then his Master of Engineering degree in product development at Aachen University of Applied Sciences. Parallel to his Master’s degree, he completed further training as an International Welding Engineer (IWE) at the SLV in Duisburg. In his doctor thesis Dr. Schwarz worked on the influence of the microstructure on the welding process, as well as on new design possibilities for welding additively manufactured components and their areas of application. Since 2016, he is leading the design engineering department at IwF GmbH.

In addition to his work at IwF GmbH, Dr. Schwarz is a lecturer for various universities (including Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences) in the field of additive manufacturing.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Bremen

Professor for Additive Manufacturing

+49 (0) 241 8906 537

Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Bremen studied industrial engineering and management at RWTH Aachen University, majoring in mechanical engineering. After his successful graduation as Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. he started his professional career as a project engineer at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology in 2011. In 2015 he was appointed team leader for the SLM Productivity Division at the Fraunhofer ILT and completed his doctorate at RWTH Aachen University as Dr.-Ing. Since the beginning of 2018 he has been working as group leader. On the part of the ILT, Sebastian Bremen is responsible for the joint project between the Aachen University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, the Aachen Centre for 3D Printing.

Gül Dizdar

Project Engineer - Development and Process Technology

+ 49 (0) 241 8906 405

Gül Dizdar is also a graduate of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. During her studies, Ms. Dizdar worked at various RWTH institutes and supported the research lab “GoetheLab”, cooperating with the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology in the field of Laser Powder Bed Fusion, as a research assistant from 2016 to 2019. Already in 2019, Ms. Dizdar was responsible for the support of various LPBF systems as a student trainee at the Institute for Toolless Manufacturing (IwF GmbH). She was able to use the knowledge and skills she gained there during an internship abroad at the Thai University in Ubon Ratchathani to introduce additive manufacturing to employees and students. Ms. Dizdar completed her final thesis at Brose, an automotive supplier in Coburg. Her focus here was also on the production of metal powder-based 3D components and their post-treatment. Until the end of her studies, Ms. Dizdar supported the company Inpeca of the Böllinger Group, located in Übach Palenberg, in the production of LPBF manufactured components as a student trainee. Since February 2022 she is again part of the IwF GmbH team as a project engineer.

Marcel Wohlfarth

Project Engineer

+ 49 (0) 241 8906 641

After his training as an electronics technician, Marcel Wohlfarth decided to work for several years in the extended environment of the Federal Ministry of Defense. This was followed by his mechanical engineering studies at the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences. During his studies, Mr. Wohlfarth worked as an electronics technician in the field of special mechanical engineering before joining IwF GmbH in search of new challenges. He started as a research assistant in 2020 and is currently working as a project engineer with enthusiasm for additive manufacturing.

Marcel Eckert

Student Research Assistant

Team