Research cluster

• Manufacturing of components from multi-material structures with
  • different metallic materials
  • non-metallic materials in metallic matrix
• Generation of structures with local property adaptation
  • Adjusted physical / chemical / mechanical properties
  • Targeted adjustment / use of cavities / porosities
  • Improved surface properties (e.g. wear, friction, etc.)
• Development of suitable starting materials / powders
  • Alloy development, use of additives (fluxes, etc.)
  • Surface properties / morphology of additive materials (shape-dependent e.g. through active grinding, plasma treatment, coating)
• Creation of freedom in manufacturing technology by focusing on the use of additive manufacturing processes: Laser sintering, laser melting, Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM).
• In-situ influencing of component properties in the manufacturing process itself (path planning, energy input, thermal cycles, etc.)

Contact: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Volker Wesling

• Development of new multi-material systems with inorganic top layer and reinforced polymer core
  • Acoustic damping (FMLs)
  • High transparency with shatter and break-in resistance (NanoGlas)
  • Application-oriented structural optimization
• Development of novel manufacturing technologies for fiber composites (focus: resource efficiency/recycling)
• Development and optimization of manufacturing processes for MMS
  • Integration of fiber and/or nanoparticle reinforcement
  • Combination of different manufacturing processes into a single-stage variothermal forming and joining process (FMLs)
  • Use of sterically stabilized, monomer-specific functionalized nanoparticles for property optimization (NanoGlass)
• Research into the unique online prepreg technology at CZM (objective: zero-waste production / environmentally oriented composite production with consistent material properties)

Contact person: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Ziegmann

• Identification and further development of approaches to material and conceptual lightweight construction
• Overcoming incompatibilities along the entire process chain from material to component
• Generation of energy-efficient lightweight structures with special consideration of all load cases and material states
• Development and production of fiber composite structures (injection molding, vacuum infiltration, resign transfer molding, wet molding)
• Adaptation of material systems and filler materials
• Realization of metallic composite designs and composite structures by means of low-heat joining processes (arc and plasma processes, pressure welding, mechanical joining and hybrid joining processes)
• Proof of properties under static, cyclic and dynamic loading → Inclusion of material conditions (e.g. aging)

Contact: Dr.-Ing. Henning Wiche

• All materials interact with their environment via their surfaces
• Many material and material-specific properties such as adhesion, wear or corrosion resistance are significantly determined by the surface
• Challenge: High demand for control and insight into the physicochemical processes on surfaces
• Targeted use of various analytical methods and techniques from the field of surface physics and materials analysis
• Dielectrically hindered discharges (DBE plasmas) for modification and functionalization of surfaces

Contact: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Maus-Friedrichs / Dr. rer. nat. René Gustus

• Modeling and simulative design of complex geometries and microcomponents for high-precision applications
• Production and optimization of the process chain by means of additive manufacturing, laser lithography, micro injection molding and micro joining technology, taking into account specific boundary conditions
  • Material-technical
  • Biological/Medical
  • Optical/Sensory
• Development of novel material combinations, such as polymer-protein composites, for biological and medical applications under clean room conditions
• Development of foldable substrates for optical applications
• Development of conductive polymer systems for microsensor technology
• Research and development of coupling mechanisms for material combinations in various fields, such as medical technology, optical systems, MID technology, etc.

• Reliable storage options are needed for large-scale use of green hydrogen as an energy carrier
• Areas of application are: Energy industry, mobility sector, production sector
• Problem: high diffusibility, high risk potential
• Pressure accumulators using hybrid material systems
  • Development of novel diffusion barriers
  • Consideration of lightweight construction aspects (metal /FVK laminate mixed construction methods)
• Solid state storage based on metal hydride
  • Use of DBD plasmas to support storage and retrieval