Skip navigation
  2. Research
  3. Scientific Departments
  4. Materials Engineering
Ein Mann feintariert eine Maschine.

The activities of the Department of Materials Engineering include the organization of scientific events as well as comprehensive experimental and theoretical work in these fields:

  • Heat treatment of metals
  • Surface Technology
  • Characterization of the material structure
  • Mechanical material properties
  • Optimization of material properties for operational use
  • alloy development and metal production and processing

In addition, the Materials Engineering Department is active in the following fields

  • Examination and investigation of damage claims
  • Consulting, information and expert opinions for industry, authorities and private persons

Each of these activities and fields of activity is dealt with in the seven departments of the Materials Engineering Department. The various departments work on the following main topics, among others:

Dr.-Ing. Matthias Steinbacher

  • Edge layer and penetrating heat treatment process
  • Thermochemical heat treatment processes
  • Sensor technology in heat treatment
  • Quenching Technology
  • Heat treatment simulation
  • Distortion engineering
  • Sol-gel process

Dr. Cem Örnek

  • Deposition of low-friction carbon layers for stress in aqueous media
  • Doping of carbon layers to improve the oxidation resistance
  • Deposition of novel materials in the form of thin sheets by magnetron sputtering
  • Chromium plating of power plant turbine blades by chemical vapour deposition

Dr.-Ing. Anastasiya Tönjes

  • Heat treatment
  • Quenching Technologies
  • Combination treatments
  • Gradient materials and MMC
  • Laser beam welded and extruded hybrid structures
  • Mixed construction methods of metal and FVK
  • Distortion engineering

 

Dr.-Ing. Johanna Eisenträger

  • Fatigue strength of hardened steels
  • Growth of short fatigue cracks
  • Transferability problems in fatigue strength
  • Methods for increasing fatigue strength
  • Modeling of fatigue sequences
  • Fatigue-resistant component dimensioning

Dr.-Ing. Jérémy Epp

  • Analysis of the properties of surface layer heat treatments
  • Analysis of microstructural changes in the microstructure during overrolling stress and the effect of machining-related residual stresses
  • Effects of non-cutting mechanical post-treatments on near-surface material conditions
  • Optimization of the element analysis with the method of optical emission spectrometry in the plasma of the glow discharge

Dr. -Ing. Andree Irretier

  • Development of material science investigation methods
  • Analytics as a service for business and industry
  • Investigation of damage cases / expert opinion
  • Participation in standardisation committees
  • Science transfer through consulting and information to industry and business
  • Academic training and further education / training of materials testers (physics)

Assoc. Prof. (Thai) Dr.-Ing. Piyada Suwanpinij

  •  Upstream processes in metallurgy and materials engineering
  • Alloy development and metal production and processing
  • Liquid metallurgy, i.e. the production of molten steel and aluminum
  • Physical simulation of industry-related thermomechanical forming processes
  • Precursors for in-house gear and bearing production and heat treatment
  • Microstructural development in thermomechanical processes

In addition to the research activities of the Department of Materials Engineering, the IWT is closely linked to the University of Bremen by a cooperation agreement. Thus, the Department of Materials Science (FG 11) in the Department of Production Engineering and the management of the Department of Materials Engineering is carried out by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Fechte-Heinen. This close personnel and institutional integration offers excellent conditions for a theoretical and application-oriented education of the students, which is particularly advantageous for the transition into practice.