The focus in the field of the medical engineering materials lab is on the research and development of materials and implants for orthopaedics, cardiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery and dental implants.  Research is done mainly in the field of powder metallurgy-based materials and processes as well as on multi-material approaches to functional materials. The group is particularly interested in researching functional materials with bioresorbable properties, for example for stents or for the replacement of bony structures. The working group is also involved in the development of highly porous cellular metallic materials that are particularly suitable for the replacement of cancellous bone.

Together with the 4D Printing working group, the team of Mechanics of Materials and Simulation and the Biotechnology team, the working group forms the Laboratory for Smart Materials for Medical Technology. The focus of the DFG-funded collaboration is on a combination of so-called smart materials with the production technology of additive manufacturing. Smart materials are functional materials that undergo mechanical, structural or multiphysical property changes by changing their environmental conditions. To this end, the laboratory's infrastructure is currently being expanded to include powder metallurgical characterization, systems for metal binder jetting and heat treatment by debinding and sintering.

The medical technology materials laboratory is a supplement to the lectures “Materials in medical engineering” and “Process chains in medical engineering”. The focus here is on manufacturing technology for materials and their testing, and it is aimed specifically at students of medical engineering. The laboratory provides insights into the testing of typical metallic materials used in medical technology, particularly in the manufacture of implants. There is also a focus on the digital production chain of patient-specific, printed implants. Our practical courses enable students to acquire in-depth knowledge of medical technology and establish a link between theory and practical application.

The Medical Technology Materials Laboratory is a cooperation with the Materials Technology Laboratory (Metals and Plastics) of the Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering and the Edu-FabLab of the Faculty of EMI. Laboratory practicals are currently being carried out at the following workstations:

• Metallography
• Reflected light microscopy
• Destructive material testing, universal testing machine,
• hardness testing
• Chemical analysis using emission spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy
• Computer-based segmentation of computer tomographic data
• CAD/CAM production of patient-specific components
• Additive manufacturing through fused layer manufacturing