2026 – Participation at InnoTrans Berlin

InnoTrans is the leading international trade fair for the future of mobility. In 2026, SMT will once again present its services and products to a broad audience.

SMT’s participation at the trade fair is supported by funding from the Federal Government and the State of Brandenburg as part of the Joint Task “Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure” (GRW).

2026 – 2029 SUNRISE

Project title: SUNRISE – Sustainable Composites Manufacturing Framework for the Mass Customization of Integrated Solar Photovoltaic Products

SUNRISE is developing lightweight, recyclable and highly customized photovoltaic modules integrated into fibre-reinforced composite components, ranging from curved vehicle surfaces to maritime structures.

The SUNRISE project is financially supported by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Innovation Actions programme under Grant Agreement No. 101294348.

The project consortium consists of twelve partners from eight European countries. More information about the project partners and project activities can be found on the SUNRISE project website:
https://sunrise-pv.eu/

2025 – 2026 V-IR-A „WIR! – VVI+R – TP4″

V-IR-A 03WlR2512D “Development of a virtual component description based on multi-stage active IR analysis for lifecycle verification (quality assurance, damage detection, repair concepts) of large-scale composite structures; sub-project: Development of damage diagnostics for the repair of large-scale composite structures using active IR analysis and a digital twin.”

Together with its project partners, SMT is developing a mobile, non-destructive testing method for identifying and assessing defects in large-scale composite structures.

For this purpose, multi-stage active IR analysis for the spatial visualization of defects is combined with a rough 3D scan and compared with the CAD design. This creates a digital twin that enables both visual and FEM-based assessment.

These measures are generally used to support the repair of defects, either as part of the production process or during maintenance, for example, of components used in rail vehicles. Our project partners are:

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP)
https://www.iap.fraunhofer.de/de/Forschungsbereiche/PYCO.html

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU)(Departments of Electronic Circuit Engineering and Polymer-Based Lightweight Design)
https://www.b-tu.de/fg-schaltungstechnik
https://www.b-tu.de/fg-leichtbau/page

Berliner Nanotest und Design GmbH.
https://nanotest.eu/en

2025 – 2026 Investment in a Hydraulic Press and Extraction Technology

To expand its production capacities for manufacturing lightweight panels using compression moulding processes, SMT is investing in a hydraulic press and extraction technology.

The new equipment will enable the production of large-format lightweight panels for use in rail vehicles. By expanding its production technology, SMT will also be able to efficiently handle large-volume customer orders.

The investments are supported by funding from the European Union and the State of Brandenburg.

Further Training of Our Employees

To develop competencies based on the identified operational qualification needs, the following training measures were carried out and funded in accordance with the joint guideline of the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy and the Ministry for Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg.
The objective and expected results of these measures are to enhance the competencies of our employees in order to meet the continuously growing requirements. Well-qualified employees therefore form the foundation for the continued economic success of our company.
The training measures are funded by the European Union and the State of Brandenburg.

2024 (85064767): Bonding Practitioner, FRP Manufacturer, FRP Repair Specialist, FRP Technician, Fiber-Composite Practice, Basic Training NC-HOPS V8

2024–2026 Productive Investment of SMEs (De Minimis); Expansion of the Capacity of an Existing Facility

The investment project aims to expand production capacities in the field of bonding technology through the acquisition of a semi-automated production system. By increasing the level of automation, productivity will be significantly improved.
The new system will enable large-area automated adhesive application. The investments made are funded by the European Union and the State of Brandenburg.

2024–2026 Productive Investment of SMEs (De Minimis); Diversification of an Establishment

Forster System-Montage-Technik GmbH is expanding its technological portfolio in the field of agile manufacturing technologies and is equipping a new bonding facility with exhaust air technology and climate control.
This enables us, on the one hand, to respond more quickly and individually to customer requirements and, on the other hand, to carry out specific bonding processes under constant climatic conditions in compliance with relevant standards.
The investments made are funded by the European Union and the State of Brandenburg.

2024–2026 Smart Adhesive Bonding

Smart Adhesive Bonding – Project 19I23012C
“Increasing the Safety of Sustainable Adhesive Bonds for Hybrid Lightweight Structures; Subproject: Extended Life Cycles for GRP Floor Systems through Sensor Technology and Artificial Intelligence.”
The cooperation partners in this project are AI-UI GmbH, COTESA GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, iKTZ GmbH, and Kunststoffverarbeitung Hoffmann GmbH.
Adhesive bonding processes are frequently used to join hybrid structures, as the lightweight potential of the materials can be fully utilized through the material-bonded connection and the resulting uniform stress distribution.
The aim of this innovation project is to further develop the design, manufacturing, and testing of adhesive joints through the use of novel sensor technologies and methods of artificial intelligence (AI). By integrating the developed sensor technology directly into the fiber-reinforced composite component or into the adhesive joint, condition monitoring can be realized in the future.
The project is funded by the Federal Republic of Germany.

By using the links, you will leave this website:
AI-UI GmbH
https://ai-ui.ai/
COTESA GmbH
https://www.cotesa.de/
Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU
https://www.iwu.fraunhofer.de
iKTZ GmbH
https://iktz.de
Kunststoffverarbeitung Hoffmann GmbH
www.hoffmann-kunststoffe.