AGU

Founded in 1974, the AGU is an association of 17 forming technology-oriented German university institutes. Today, it is the representative of scientific forming technology in the Federal Republic of Germany and contributes nationally and internationally to the promotion and development of forming technology in a variety of ways. In terms of content, the AGU institutes address scientific issues relating to forming production technology and the associated materials science and materials engineering as well as the associated forming machines. In total, more than 700 scientific employees conduct research at the AGU institutes, often in close cooperation with national and international partners from industry and science.

The purpose of the AGU is the scientifically based technical and economic further development of forming technology in the grouping and breadth presented in DIN 8582 to 8588 and 8593 with the focus on Technology including design, tools, machine tools and machine tool environment, process design and simulation as well as company organization in national and supranational cooperation through research and development, through technology transfer to and cooperation with industry and through the dissemination of relevant knowledge.

These goals in teaching, research and development as well as technology transfer are pursued through:

• Mutual information about courses, study programs and degrees, theses and dissertations, dissertations and habilitations, research topics, publications and lectures
• Public information events such as colloquia, seminars at individual AGU institutes Presentation of the aims, activities and results of the AGU in joint presentations at specialist exhibitions, cross-regional specialist exhibitions, etc.
• Contact with institutions such as the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AIF), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with downstream departments, the Volkswagen Foundation, the ministries of the federal states for economics, science and research, the organizations of the European Community (EU), etc. on research funding measures and research policy issues,
• Development of proposals for the promotion of research in forming technology and interdisciplinary priority areas with an emphasis on the combination of scientific principles and production technology applications,
• Cooperation with foreign institutions, associations, etc. in the training and promotion of students, in research and research promotion and in technology transfer.

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Umformtechnik (AGU), founded in 1974, is made up of the holders of German forming technology chairs and institutes at various universities and technical colleges. It sees itself as the scientific representative of its specialist field of production engineering for the Federal Republic of Germany and is closely linked to the Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Produktionstechnik e.V. (WGP) through dual memberships.

Forming Technology at Universities and Research Institutes

In 1974, the situation of university teaching and research in forming technology in West Germany was as follows: In addition to the chairs in Aachen and Clausthal, which were primarily focused on the first processing stage of iron and steel products, chairs had been established since 1954 in Hanover, since 1958 in Stuttgart, since 1968 in Munich, and since 1971 in Dortmund for the second processing stage. Furthermore, since 1917, forming technology with an emphasis on the procedures of the first processing stage had been represented at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf. In Aachen, Prof. Reiner Kopp had taken over the chair for plastic forming on March 1, 1974, succeeding Prof. Vater, and in Hanover, Prof. Eckart Doege had taken over the chair for forming technology (later "Forming Technology and Forming Machines") on April 1, 1974, succeeding Prof. Bühler. The reappointment in Berlin and the first appointment of a chair in Darmstadt were anticipated. It was expected that there would soon be a total of eight chairs in forming technology at universities and technical colleges. In this context, considerations regarding a closer future cooperation of their chairs, including a sensible use of research funds, mostly from public sources, were discussed in several conversations between chair holders. A possible delineation of the various work areas and the necessary safeguarding of scientific results were also included in the discussion. Regarding the Max Planck Institute in Düsseldorf, there was a general opinion that its forming technology department, also due to the close personnel connection with RWTH Aachen and TU Clausthal, should be included in the planned cooperation from the outset.