23^rd Colloquium: Joint research in adhesive bonding technology

28 February and 1 March 2023 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

After the online events of the last two years, the GAK colloquium finally happened onsite again this year. About 180 participants from research and practice attended the event at the DECHEMA building in Frankfurt am Main.

The conference program covered current topics: Automotive construction, simulation, steel and timber construction, manufacturing, quality assurance, surfaces and energy transition. Adhesives manufacturers were also given the opportunity to talk about their products in a block of lectures.

The Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track - Screw press bonding in another way
During the timber construction session, Mr. Simon Schmid from the company Züblin Timber GmbH reported on the Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track. Under the slogan “Screw press bonding in another way”, Mr. Schmid presented the development and manufacturing of the roofing for individual curves and straight tracks of the approx. 1.3 km long luge track in Thuringia. The new roofing was prefabricated in modules and assembled on site.

News from wood research
Pascal Franck, TU Dortmund University (Materials Test Engineering, WPT), then reported on the current status of the results in the ongoing project of the Industrial Collective Research (IGF) on the economic utilization of hardwood constructions with glued-in rods. Dr. Steffen Sydow from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI presented the development of a combined mechanical-climatic accelerated aging method for structural wood-based materials. Dr. Steven Eschig, also a scientist at the Fraunhofer WKI, talked about formaldehyde-free resins from lignin and hydroxymethylfurfural for the manufacture of wood-based materials.

Good opportunity for Business networking
The colloquium was again accompanied by an exhibition where adhesives manufacturers, suppliers of laboratory and analytical equipment as well as research institutions presented their products, processes and services as well as research results.

The GAK – a short description
The GAK colloquium is organized by the DECHEMA Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, cooperating with the three research associations Welding and Allied Processes of the DVS, Steel Applications (FOSTA) and the iVTH - International Association for Technical Issues Related to Wood. The four research associations together form the Joint Committee on Adhesive Bonding Technology (GAK). The GAK committee was constituted in 2005 for the cross-sectoral evaluation of ideas for research projects.
The GAK’s tasks also include the transfer of research results from IGF projects into practice in the adhesives sector. Among other things, this is done annually via the colloquium on adhesive bonding technology.

For more information about the GAK click herer: Joint Committee on Adhesive Bonding