With this year’s Barbara Colloquium on December 4, 2025, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lothar Kallien bids farewell to a long-standing event series that has become an established institution in Germany’s foundry and materials engineering community.
Since its inception, the colloquium has not only impressed with high-caliber technical presentations but has also set standards as an important platform for exchange between industry, research, and students.
The Barbara Colloquium at Aalen University is regarded as a flagship event within the metallurgical community. Each year, experts from companies, associations, and universities gather to discuss the latest developments in foundry technology, materials science, and production engineering. Topics range from sustainable manufacturing processes to digital transformation and automation, as well as innovative material solutions shaping the future of industry.
“The Barbara Colloquium has always been more than just a lecture series,” emphasizes Prof. Kallien. “It is a place for open dialogue, where practitioners and scientists meet on equal footing – and where new collaborations and ideas are often born.”
Over the years, many of the speakers and participants have become part of a close-knit network of experts. The colloquium has made a significant contribution to strengthening Aalen as a center of technology and to fostering connections between the university and the industry. Students, in turn, benefit greatly from the direct contact with companies and research institutes – a success story that has earned recognition far beyond the region.
Program of the Barbara Colloquium in Aalen
December 4, 2025 – starting at 3:00 p.m.
Welcome address:
Prof. Dr. Harald Riegel, Rector of Aalen University
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lothar H. Kallien
3:15 p.m. – Start of the presentations
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Thin-walled, batch-flexible aluminum castings using laminar casting processes
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfram Volk, Chair of Metal Forming and Casting, Technical University of Munich -
High-damping copper casting materials in die casting
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Babette Tonn, Institute of Foundry Technology, Clausthal University of Technology -
Mega-, Giga- and Hypercastings – Production and applications worldwide
Dr.-Ing. Daniel Schwarz, Steinbeis Transfer Center Foundry Technology Aalen -
Use of AI technology in aluminum die casting
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Fehlbier, Institute of Foundry Technology, University of Kassel -
Electrification of energy use in light metal foundries as the key to decarbonization
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gotthard Wolf, Foundry Institute, TU Bergakademie Freiberg
Foundry Technology Aalen 2004–2025
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lothar H. Kallien is Professor of Foundry Technology and Materials Science at Aalen University and Head of the renowned Foundry Technology Aalen (GTA) Laboratory. He is regarded as one of the leading figures in German light metal casting research and has made significant contributions to the advancement of aluminum, magnesium, and zinc casting processes over several decades.
Under his leadership, Aalen University’s foundry laboratory has developed into a leading competence center for research and teaching, fostering close cooperation between science and industry. In addition to numerous publications and research projects, Prof. Kallien is deeply committed to promoting young talent and facilitating knowledge transfer between academia and business.
As initiator and host of the long-standing Barbara Colloquium, he has created a platform that brings together experts from research, industry, and associations – a vibrant network whose impact extends far beyond the region.
