Objectives of the department Lightweight Materials

Each structure material is characterized by specific properties, which distinguishes it from others under certain conditions. Due to the increasing complexity of requirements for structures used in modern lightweight products, the development of material systems as well as of compound structures is of growing relevance.

In this context it is of interest

• to extend the property profiles of individual material components further. Particularly the potentials of metallic materials and of metallic material systems are still not exhausted yet.

• to combine different metallic and non-metallic material components in a way that the individual material-specific advantages become effective in an optimal manner within the whole lightweight structure.

As a cooperation partner for industrial enterprises and research institutes, the department’s activities focus on systematic and application-oriented optimisation and development of such materials and material systems including component manufacturing as well as joining techniques and testing methods.

Among others, our activities covers:

• Materials, material systems and composites:
  Aluminium and titanium alloys, high-strength steel grades, gradient materials, Metal-Matrix-Composites (MMC), Metal-Metal-Composites, Metal-FRP-Composites, hybride products
  
  
• Manufacturing processes:
  Spray forming, casting, forging, rolling, extruding, pressing, heat treating, hardening, machining, joining, surface treating