A research team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing (IZFP) has been awarded the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize 2025. The team was recognized for developing the mobile ultrasonic measurement system AloX, which reliably analyzes the purity of aluminum melts under real-world industrial conditions.
Foundries pose significant technical challenges: equipment must be highly reliable while also withstanding heat, dust, and limited accessibility. The newly developed AloX system offers precise measurement capabilities in exactly these demanding environments—quickly, portably, and cost-effectively.
Thomas Waschkies, Chief Scientist for Sensor Physics at Fraunhofer IZFP, emphasizes the importance of melt cleanliness: “The purity of molten metal, which reaches temperatures of 600 to 800 degrees Celsius, is critical to the final product. Ceramic particles in the melt won’t liquefy until they reach more than 2,000 degrees. If not removed, they remain as inclusions in the final component. This can lead to cracks, pores, and—at worst—complete component failure.”
He and Andrea Mross jointly lead the AloX development project in Saarbrücken.
Aluminum as a Key Material for a Sustainable Future
After steel, aluminum is the most widely used metal in the world. Lightweight, durable, and highly recyclable, it plays a key role in climate-neutral and circular manufacturing. Yet traditional testing methods are often too complex, expensive, or limited to spot-checks. What the industry needs is a robust, flexible, and cost-efficient solution—exactly what AloX was designed to provide.
How AloX Works
The system is housed in a mobile unit equipped with specially developed ultrasonic waveguides and an integrated cooling mechanism. The probe is immersed directly into the molten aluminum. Thomas Mross describes the system as follows:
“It works a lot like a car’s parking sensor. The system sends out signals, which bounce back from a reflector. If particles—meaning contaminants—float past, they interfere with the signal.”
This allows real-time detection of inclusions—an important advantage over traditional lab-based analysis.
The Next Step: AloX 2.0
The team is already developing a next-generation version, AloX 2.0. Nearly all components are being designed in-house at Fraunhofer IZFP—from the sensors and electronics to the software and mechanical elements. Andrea Mross describes AloX as a “turnkey all-in-one solution from a single source.”
While AloX was initially developed for aluminum foundries, its potential goes much further. Future applications may include other metal melts as well as industrial sectors such as adhesives or food production.
