The employees at Busch showed great interest in the young people’s projects, which is why Nicholas Bahlke was given the opportunity to present the results of his research. In his presentation on oscillating wings, he reported his findings on the conditions that lead to a delayed flow stall, similar to the occurrence in fighter jets, for example.
Dr Fabian Fahlbusch, Head of Content in the marketing department of Busch, then presented Busch Vacuum Solutions. Founded in 1963, the family-owned company, which also includes Pfeiffer Vacuum from Aßlar in Hesse, today employs 8,000 people worldwide, is represented in 45 countries and has 19 production sites. With its R5 oil-lubricated rotary vane vacuum pump, the company revolutionized food packaging and became the world market leader in this field. Today Busch is one of the leading companies in vacuum solutions worldwide.
After the presentation, the students, who were accompanied by their teachers Anne Spanke and Pirmin Gohn as well as phaenovum’s managing director Kirsten Lohrmann, had the opportunity to experience vacuum pump production during a tour of the plant. Finally, they were allowed to conduct physics experiments themselves, exploring how various objects behave under vacuum.
The phaenovum Schülerforschungszentrum Lörrach-Dreiländereck gives interested, highly motivated and talented students the opportunity to develop creatively and conduct independent interdisciplinary research without the pressure of regular classes and without rigid curricula. The aim is to inspire children and young people to develop their own theories and experiments, to awaken their enthusiasm and joy about science and technology, and to get young people excited about scientific work.
Busch is one of the most committed supporters of the phaenovum and has been supporting the student research center since 2012. Ayla Busch is the second chairwoman of the association, dedicating her time and expertise to this role on a voluntary basis.