Metallic Materials: Research
The research activities carried out at the Institute of Materials Engineering - Metallic Materials can be summarized under the topic of processing-microstructure-properties relationships. There are seven working groups being closely networked with the following main research areas:
- Influence of residual stresses on deformation and fracture behavior
- Microstructure and properties of welded, brazed and additively manufactured structures
- Microstructural characterization of machined or strengthened surface layers
- Effects of manufacturing processes as well as shot peening and deep rolling treatments on fatigue strength
- Investigation of fundamental issues related to the origin, determination and evaluation of residual stresses
- Residual stress analysis in boundary zones as well as welded and additively manufactured structures
- Residual stress analyses with mechanical and X-ray techniques
- Analysis of textures and phase fractions
- Addressing fundamental issues related to the causes, determination and evaluation of residual stresses
- Residual stress analyses in edge layers, welded joints and additively manufactured structures
- Residual stress analyses with mechanical and X-ray methods
- Analysis of textures and phase fractions
- Joining of high-strength steels and aluminum alloys
- Technical aspects of welding and brazing
- Short-term heat treatments
- Selective electron beam melting (ARCAM process)
- Selective laser melting (SLM process)
- New materials for additive manufacturing
- Direct microstructure design
- Thermal and mechanical post-process treatments
- Mechanical properties of additively manufactured structures
- High temperature shape memory materials
- Fe-based shape memory materials
- Microstructure design
- Functional fatigue
- Modeling of fundamental processes in the fields of materials engineering
In all fields, fundamental and application-oriented aspects are focused in a balanced manner. In particular, technical issues as well as the evaluation of damage and failure cases are addressed in close cooperation with industrial partners. A wide range of modern testing equipment is available to the working groups for the investigations. For example, several computer-controlled X-ray diffractometers are available for stress, phase and texture analysis. In addition, all arc welding processes can be used in the welding laboratory for fabrication of well-defined weld seams. In turn, additive manufacturing, so-called "metal 3D printing", is feasible via electron beam melting and selective laser melting technique. Furthermore, by means of modern hardware and software equipment including mechanical and servo-hydraulic testing machines the working group is able to perform complex fatigue and crack propagation investigations.