City:  Aachen
Date:  Jul 16, 2025

Bachelor-/ Master Thesis: »Tool Wear meets Federated Learning«

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (www.fraunhofer.com) currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany and is a leading applied research organization. Around 32 000 employees work with an annual research budget of 3.4 billion euros. 

At the Fraunhofer IPT in Aachen, we work with more than 530 employees every day to make the production of the future more digital, more flexible and more sustainable. In the department »High-Performance cutting«, we deal with high-quality requirements in the metal cutting industry, especially in highly regulated sectors such as aerospace.

As part of your thesis, you will investigate federated learning for decentralized AI model training for tool wear detection and measurement in milling processes within the »FL4AI« project. A custom dataset has been acquired, consisting of microscopic tool wear images and CNC-integrated camera videos. Your task will be to generate AI pipelines to detect and measure flank wear according to ISO DIN 8688-2 in centralized, individual, and federated learning scenarios.
Here you partly work on your tasks on-site in our institute/ machine park.

 

What you will do

  • Analyze acquired microscopic and video tool wear data
  • Investigate image processing techniques such as spatial filtering, morphological techniques, and segmentation
  • Hands-on development of pre-processing, AI-training and local and global evaluation pipelines
  • Evaluate centralized, individual, and federated learning scenarios for tool wear detection and measurement

 

What you bring to the table

  • You are studying production engineering, mechanical engineering, or a comparable subject 
  • Initial programming (python) and Machine Learning (pytorch, and scikit-learn) experience is required
  • A high degree of initiative, independence, and motivation
  • Good language skills in German or English

 

What you can expect

  • Ideal conditions for practical experience alongside your studies
  • Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team
  • A state-of-the-art machine park equipped with edge cloud systems and 5G infrastructure
  • Flexible working to combine study and job in the best possible way

 

We value and promote the diversity of our employees' skills and therefore welcome all applications - regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, ideology, disability, sexual orientation and identity. Severely disabled persons are given preference in the event of equal suitability.

With its focus on developing key technologies that are vital for the future and enabling the commercial utilization of this work by business and industry, Fraunhofer plays a central role in the innovation process. As a pioneer and catalyst for groundbreaking developments and scientific excellence, Fraunhofer helps shape society now and in the future. 

Interested? Apply online now. We look forward to getting to know you!
 

For any further information on this position please contact:
Gustavo Laydner de Melo Rosa Eng. Mec.
Research assistant »High Performance Cutting« 
Phone: +49 241 8904-256        

Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT 

www.ipt.fraunhofer.de 

 

Requisition Number: 80591                Application Deadline:

 


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