Research Labs for E-Textiles

With the TexLab and the Textile Prototyping Lab (TPL), the Fraunhofer IZM offers outstanding resources, highly qualified staff, years of experience and a multitude of tools to advance and support the development of innovative e-textile applications.

Several state-of the art lamination presses allow for the seamless integration of electronic modules into textiles. With an industrial embroidery machine including TFP capability, a variety of conductive yarns and wires can be directly sewn onto textiles to realize complex electronic circuitry. Thermoplastic materials can be joined using our ultrasonic spot and rotary welding machines.

The e-textile bonder – developed at the Fraunhofer IZM – makes resource efficient and reliable interconnections between electronic modules and textile integrated circuits fast and easy. This innovative process enables us to achieve a mechanical and electrical interconnection in one step. Electronic modules of up to 50 x 50 mm² can be interconnected with conductive structures integrated into textiles of up to 100 x 100 cm².

With a digital knitting machine, a small format laser cutter, a plotter, the open-source spinning machine Hilo and other small machinery, the TPL offers the perfect conditions for the implementation of textile and e-textile prototypes. The integrated meeting space allows for project meetings or workshops in a creative and open atmosphere. 

Our excellent infrastructure of textile, climate, mechanical and electronics testing equipment as well as a standardized washing machine enable us to offer application specific and individually tailored quality and reliability testing for e-textiles. A subsequent failure and damage analysis is possible using microsection, microscopy, SEM, FIB or X-ray technology.