![[Translate to English:] Vier Persone stehen in einem Labor und halten Gegenstände in die Kamera](/fileadmin/images/content/forschung/werkstofftechnik/Team_Leichtbauwerkstoffe.jpg)
- 2 x 6 megapixel CMOS cameras, resolution of 3072 x 2048 pixels
- 400 x 250 mm² measuring field
- LED illumination
- Studio tripod and swivel head
- Motorized turntable (GOM ROT 350)
Every structural material has special properties that set it apart from other materials under certain conditions. As the requirements placed on the structures used in lightweight construction continue to increase in complexity, structural development is increasingly moving in the direction of high-performance materials and material systems.
As a cooperation partner for industry and research, the focus of the Lightweight Materials department is on the systematic, application-oriented and demand-oriented optimization and further development of such materials and material systems, including component manufacturing.
Our activities include the following:
- Materials: Aluminum, titanium alloys, high-strength steels, property-graded metals, metal-metal composites, hybrid composites, function-integrated materials.
- Manufacturing processes: Material-oriented additive manufacturing, alloy development, heat treatment, quenching, hardening, joining, testing
TNZ-Dental – Qualification of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr Alloy for the Additive Manufacturing of Dental Implants
The dental industry already successfully employs powder bed fusion with a laser beam (PBF-LB/M) for the cost-effective production of customized crowns and bridges. In dental implant technology, however, conventional manufacturing processes and the materials CP titanium and Ti-6Al-4V still dominate. These materials exhibit a high elastic modulus, which can lead to stress shielding, bone resorption, and implant failure. In addition, Ti-6Al-4V contains alloying elements that may have potentially adverse biological effects.
The planned project addresses these challenges through the additive manufacturing of patient-specific dental implants made from the biocompatible alloy Ti-13Nb-13Zr using PBF-LB/M. This β-rich (α+β) alloy is free of critical alloying elements, medically approved, and allows for targeted adjustment of the microstructure and mechanical properties through thermo-mechanical treatments. In particular, the elastic modulus can be reduced to below 80 GPa, significantly decreasing the tendency toward stress shielding.
Since the complete PBF-LB/M process chain, including hot isostatic pressing (HIP), has not yet been comprehensively investigated, the project will systematically analyze the relationships between process parameters, microstructure, and resulting properties. The aim is to develop an optimized process chain and to manufacture a demonstrator. The results will provide an important basis for the future approval of additively manufactured dental implants based on Ti-13Nb-13Zr.
Cooperation: Institut für Werkstoffe (IfW) der Technischen Universität Braunschweig
Funding: BMWE – DLR/IGF
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Mika León Altmann
Phone: +49 421 218 51414
E-Mail: altmann@iwt-bremen.de
QualiCut – Qualification and machining of carbide-reinforced nickel-based alloys for additive manufactured components in hydrogen engines
A key factor in reducing the harmful effects of aviation on the climate and to increase cost efficiency is the reduction of emissions through higher engine efficiency.
Regardless of the energy source used, increasing engine efficiency is associated with higher operating and exhaust gas temperatures, which changes the requirements for the high-temperature properties of the materials used. Available materials, such as Inconel 718, limit engine development in this regard, so new material concepts for use at higher temperatures must be developed. The aim of the project is to develop a carbide-reinforced nickel-based alloy adapted to the process chain for laser additive manufacturing and to develop the downstream milling and grinding processes for use in the highly regulated aviation supply industry.
Figure: Inconel powder particle with tungstencarbide
Cooperation: Leibniz-IWT WT, Präwest Dr.-Ing. Heinz-Rudolf Jung GmbH & Co.KG, Kolbes Messtechnik, Härterei Tandler GmbH & Co.KG
Funding: LuRaFo FHB 2027
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Daniel Knoop
Phone: +49 421 218 51435
E-Mail: dknoop@iwt-bremen.de
Development of new titanium alloys with reduced hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility – Ti-Star
A high level of interest in new, environmentally friendly drive technologies inevitably results in a growing demand for hydrogen supply systems.
Through the development of new titanium alloys with enhanced suitability for hydrogen-containing environments, Ti-Star supports the introduction of a wide range of novel drive systems.
However, contact with hydrogen can lead to the formation of a brittle hydride phase, which causes premature failure and is commonly known as hydrogen embrittlement of titanium materials.
The aim of the project is to expand our understanding of hydride formation in titanium materials. To this end, the influence of different concentrations of an alternative hydride former is being investigated. The most promising alloys are processed using additive and conventional methods and examined for their mechanical properties after hydrogen charging.
The alloy systems designed in the previous year will be manufactured in the coming project year and subsequently charged with hydrogen.
Figure: a) Experimental setup for hydrogen charging / b) Diffractogram of titanium alloy after charging
Cooperation: Leibniz-IWT PB WT, Hanseatische Waren Handelsgesellschaft GmbH
Funding: BAB FEI
Contact:
Lia Pribnow, M.Sc.
Phone: +49 421 218 51448
E-Mail: pribnow@iwt-bremen.de
Energy and resource-efficient additive manufacturing: lifecycle analysis of support structures - FEATURE
Additive manufacturing offers significant advantages for weight reduction and resource-efficient production in the aerospace industry, but it also poses significant challenges, particularly with regard to support structures, which require expert knowledge for process design. These structures are essential for securing components to the build platform to prevent warping and for efficiently dissipating process heat.
Job preparation and the design of support structures are often based on empirical values and are frequently oversized for safety reasons. Failure of the support structures can lead to component scrap, underscoring the need for precise design.
The lifecycle of support structures encompasses several critical aspects, including the removal of the structures, material costs and labor, increased processing time, and the resulting rise in CO2 emissions. In addition, the strength of the support structures and the ease of removing excess powder play a central role. To date, however, there has been no comprehensive analysis of all relevant aspects in the design and use of support structures.
FEATURE aims to quantify all aspects of the lifecycle of various support structures, which differ in terms of properties such as strength, material consumption, and removability. Instead of relying on experience-based design, the project seeks to develop a simulation-based solution and machine learning methods to enable informed decisions regarding support structure design.
This project brings together three of Bremen’s core competencies – aviation, digitalization, and additive manufacturing – to make additive manufacturing of aerospace components accessible in a way that is both environmentally and economically sustainable. In this project, the Leibniz-IWT is researching the strength of support structures, support structure-component interfaces, and the effects of the aerospace-relevant material properties of the highly relevant aerospace alloys IN718 and Ti-6Al-4V.
Cooperation: worldiety GmbH, Materialise GmbH, Airbus Endowed Chair for Integrative Simulation and Engineering of Materials and Processes (ISEMP), Präwest Präzisionswerkstätten Dr.-Ing. Heinz-Rudolph Jung GmbH & Co. KG
Funding: LuRaFo FHB 2027
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Mika León Altmann
Phone: +49 421 218 51414
E-Mail: altmann@iwt-bremen.de
META – Metallic technologies for environmentally friendly, competitive, and efficient aviation: Life cylce assessment of forming and heat treatment processes
The analysis of process chains and the development of a better understanding of the interactions between forming and heat treatment processes for aerospace-approved aluminum alloys are the basis for major process enhancements in sheet metal forming and for the replacement of components that are currently manufactured using cutting processes.
The use of advanced sheet metal forming technologies can reduce the amount of material required by 90% compared to the state of the art (integral frames milled from plates), thus making a major contribution to reducing the climate impact. The central objective of the Leibniz-IWT sub-project is to develop an understanding of the interaction between forming and heat treatment to generate specific microstructural properties for the fluid cell forming process and hot form quench (HFQ) process.
Cooperation: Leibniz-IWT PB WT, Airbus Aerostructures GmbH, Fischer Rohrtechnik GmbH, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Concept Laser GmbH, Novelis Koblenz GmbH
Funding: BMWE LuFo VII-1
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Daniel Knoop
Phone: +49 421 218 51435
E-Mail: dknoop@iwt-bremen.de
TiHydrAero – Titanwerkstoffe für wasserstoffführende Komponenten in der Luftfahrt
In order to achieve a sustainable aerospace industry, the use of hydrogen powered aircrafts is an important approach. Due to hydrogen embrittlement and diffusion the application of common titanium alloys is limited.
The aim of this project is to develop an alloy and improve the microstructure of common alloys that exhibits a tensile strength of 900 MPa and an elongation at break of 10 % while being exposed to hydrogen as well as the successful processing of this alloy using additive manufacturing processes. To this end, understanding of hydrogen influence is being expanded through electrochemical charging of well-known alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V and investigation of hydride formation. The behavior of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr in various states during Charpy impact testing at a temperature of 20 K was also determined.
Research on the new alloy is planned for the new year.
Figure: a) Charpy impact bending test of Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr at 20 K / b) Powder of the new alloy
Cooperation: Leibniz-IWT PB WT, TU Chemnitz
Funding: BMWE, LuFo VI-3
Contact:
Lia Pribnow, M.Sc.
Phone: +49 421 218 51448
E-Mail: pribnow@iwt-bremen.de
SafeAIR – Safe use of aluminum alloys for applications with liquid hydrogen in emission-free aircraft
Within the project, the resistance of promising additively manufactured aluminum alloys to hydrogen embrittlement is investigated by correlating mechanical behavior with the distribution of hydrogen atoms.
Within the Leibniz-IWT sub-project, and in collaboration with Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon GmbH, the resistance of promising additively manufactured aluminum alloys to hydrogen embrittlement is investigated by correlating mechanical behavior with the distribution of hydrogen atoms.
The core objective of this individual project is to gain insights - within the multidisciplinary framework of the overall project - into the effects of hydrogen interactions with microstructural features and defects (dislocations, grain boundaries, and in particular precipitates) on the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys at cryogenic temperatures down to 20 K. Understanding these mechanisms is essential to prevent premature failure of critical components in future emission-free, hydrogen-powered aircraft and to ensure the required component safety. The project lays the foundations for the future development of safe LH2 systems in aviation by investigating material–hydrogen interactions using two different aluminum alloy systems (6xxx and 2xxx), produced both through conventional manufacturing routes and laser-based additive manufacturing, in various microstructural states.
Figure: Goals and approach
Collaboration: Leibniz-IWT WT-PA/WT-LW
Funding: LuFo VII-1 20E2406A
Duration: 01.03.2026 to 28.02.2029
This project is part of the research focus on "Hydrogen Technologies" at Leibniz-IWT Bremen.
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Anastasiya Tönjes
Phone: +49 421 218 51491
E-Mail: toenjes@iwt-bremen.de
APFeL - Requirement-adapted process control for efficient laser additive manufacturing of lightweight components
The innovation potential of laser additive manufacturing is immense and yet the high costs to date prevent its widespread use. The APFeL project aims to reduce the manufacturing costs for additively manufactured metallic structures by 25 % by designing the process control in line with requirements and loads. This will make it possible to open up new economic applications in mechanical engineering, the automotive industry and aviation.
Today, metallic components are manufactured using selective laser powder bed fusion (Laser Powder Bed Fusion, PBF-LB/M) in a largely uniform manner and to a high quality level, although there are different quality requirements and the highest quality is not required in all component areas.
The APFeL project starts with the systematic recording of individual customer requirements in order to design the process chain and the individual process steps in a cost-efficient manner and to achieve the required quality level. Using simulation, component areas can be identified that allow a certain porosity and surface quality and are suitable for production with build-up rate-optimized parameters, thus increasing productivity. To this end, the process-property relationship is being investigated in order to develop process parameters that result in defined properties with a low standard deviation in a time-optimized manner. The resource efficiency of the component-specific process chain compared to conventional process chains is evaluated using a life cycle analysis.
The aim of the project is an automated, geometry- and load-dependent assignment of process parameters that takes into account the complex interactions between material, parameters, geometry and mechanical load. In this project, Leibniz-IWT is working together with Materialise GmbH, Fraunhofer IAPT, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, INPECA GmbH, 3N Kompetenzzentrum e.V.
This project is funded by the Lightweight Construction Technology Transfer Program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Collaboration: WT-LW, Materialise GmbH, Fraunhofer IAPT, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, INPECA GmbH, 3N Kompetenzzentrum e.V.
Funding: 03LB2053F
Duration: 01.07.2023 to 30.06.2026
Contact:
M.Sc. Lisa Husemann
Phone: +49421 218 51325
E-mail: husemann(at)iwt-bremen.de
Figure: Components of a component-specific PBF-LB/M process chain
![[Translate to English:] Bestandteile einer bauteilindividuellen PBF-LB/M-Prozesskette](/fileadmin/images/content/forschung/werkstofftechnik/Abb_PBF-Prozesskette.png)
AURORA - Additive manufacturing of graded structures from iron-based shape memory alloys
The Leibniz Junior Research Group AURORA is conducting research on additively manufactured iron-based shape memory alloys. A novel 3D printing method is used to locally adjust the alloy composition during the process.
Shape memory alloys are metallic materials that return to their undeformed shape when heated after being plastically deformed. Combined with the novel 3D printing method, the fabrication of components with localized functionalization is enabled, opening up completely new possibilities for the design of cost-effective, innovative, lightweight and smart components. Based on this project, a methodology will be provided to investigate a large number of alloy variations with unprecedented material efficiency.
Cooperation: IWT-WT/VT
Funding: Leibniz-Gemeinschaft - „Leibniz-Junior Research Groups“
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Anastasiya Tönjes
Tel.: 0421 218 51491
E-Mail: toenjes(at)iwt-bremen.de
CONtrol - Contamination tolerant hypo- and hypereutectic Al-Si-alloys for additive manufacturing
In this project, the influence of Fe contamination on two Al-Si alloys will be investigated which will allow the contamination to be compensated by adjusted process conditions.
Aluminum, thanks to its outstanding mechanical and metallurgical properties, is being used in wide range of applications in several industries. Therefore, the utilization of recycled aluminum is increasing for the sake of more sustainability. In this project, the influence of Fe contamination on two Al-Si alloys will be investigated which will allow the contamination to be compensated by adjusted process conditions.
Cooperation: IWT-WT, Universität Bremen
Funding: DFG SPP2122
Contact:
M.Sc. Layla Shams Tisha
Tel.: +49 421 218 51345
E-Mail: tisha(at)iwt-bremen.de
VerA distortion compensation in aluminum die casting process chains
The aim of the VerA project is to develop a method of compensating for process-induced residual stresses in aluminum die casting during production. The complete process chain from casting to heat treatment is considered.
The motivation of the project is the economical production of large-area, thin-walled die cast integral components that meet the lightweight construction requirements of the automotive industry. Currently, cost-intensive measures such as straightening operations are necessary to compensate for distortion. In the process chain under consideration, from casting to heat treatment, locally controlled quenching is used to influence distortion and internal stresses during heat treatment. Quenching is performed by adaptive spray field systems. When adapting the spray field, component-specific data from process monitoring are used so that warpage can be compensated for by optimum local cooling rates.
This project was funded by the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF).
Working on the project: IWT-Verfahrenstechnik, IWT-Leichtbauwerkstoffe, IFAM
Funding: BMWi-AiF
Duration: 01.04.2022 - 30.09.2024
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Anastasiya Tönjes
Tel.: +49 421 218 51491
E-Mail: toenjes@iwt-bremen.de
M.Sc. Daniel Knoop
Tel.: +49 421 218 51435
E-Mail: dknoop@iwt-bremen.de
UBRA Portal
The core of the project is the investigation and optimisation of the additive manufacturing process through automatic selection and adaptation of suitable parameter sets of the manufacturing process and the material selection through approximate and probalistic predictor functions.
Endoprosthetic implant fittings, such as hip and knee joints, contribute to a higher quality of life and represent an established procedure. The Ti6Al4V alloy is one of the materials used for this. This alloy has a high specific strength, stiffness, biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. In addition to forged or cast endoprostheses, these are now also manufactured with patient-specific geometries using laser additive manufacturing from the powder bed (Laser Powder Bed Fusion, LPBF). A certain amount of residual porosity in LPBF-produced objects is unavoidable. A distinction is made between gas porosity, bonding defects and keyhole porosity. Any type of porosity can lead to fatal failure, as it acts as a crack initiation point, especially under dynamic loading. LPBF objects are therefore subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) for critical applications.
The core of the project is the investigation and optimisation of the additive manufacturing process through automatic selection and adaptation of suitable parameter sets of the manufacturing process and the material selection through approximate and probalistic predictor functions. To this end, machine-approximated prediction models will first be derived that allow the failure and service life of the components to be estimated on the basis of the process parameters and other sensory manufacturing data (forward model). With this knowledge, the inverse problem (backward model) should finally be obtained in order to be able to estimate the optimal manufacturing parameters from given result parameters of the products (properties).
This project is supported by the U Bremen Research Alliance with funding from the state of Bremen within the framework of the AI Center for Health Care.
Working on: Leibniz IWT-WT and University of Bremen
Funding: UBRA 2021
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Mika León Altmann
Phone: +49 421 218 51414
E-Mail: altmann@iwt-bremen.de
TIRIKA - Technologies and repair processes for sustainable aviation in a circular economy
As a research partner in this joint project, Leibniz-IWT supports the goal of environmentally friendly aviation.
The research focuses on increasing the degree of lightweight construction, the use of materials for new propulsion technologies and increasing the service life of highly relevant components. In this context, research is being conducted on improving the mechanical properties of laser-additively manufactured Ti6Al4V components. Novel heat treatment processes are to be developed that exploit the mechanical potential of laser-additive manufactured components while taking into account their special microstructure.
Processing: WT-LW, joint project under the direction of Airbus Operations GmbH.
Funding: LuFo VI-2 20W2103J
Duration: 01.01.2022 until 31.03.2025
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Mika León Altmann
Phone: +49 421 218 51414
E-Mail: altmann(at)iwt-bremen.de
Contact Person
-
Dr.-Ing. Anastasiya Tönjes
Head of Lightweight Materials
Phone: +49 421 218 51491
Email: toenjes@iwt-bremen.de
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Equipment
- 3D Scanner (GOM, ATOS GOM Scan 1 – 400)
- Differential Scanning Calorimeter - DSC (Mettler Toledo, DSC 3+)
- Differential Scanning Calorimeter -DSC (Mettler Toledo, TGA/DSC 3+)
- Electrical conductivity meter (Helmut Fischer GmbH, Sigmascope® SMP 350)
- Hot Isostatic Press (Quintus, HIP QIH15L)
- Laser Powder Bed Fusion - LPBF (Aconity 3D GmbH, AconityMINI)
- Metal powder-based additive manufacturing – LPBF (Aconity 3D GmbH, AconityMIDI+ additional module PBF-LB/M: in-situ fluidic application – PicoPuls)
- Metal Powder Based Additive Manufacturing - LPBF (Aconity 3D GmbH, AconityMIDI+)
- Laser Powder Bed Fusion – LPBF (Aconity 3D GmbH, AconityMINI – additional build chamber PBF-LB/M: In-situ rolling module)
- Laser Powder Bed Fusion – LPBF (Aconity 3D GmbH, AconityMINI additional build chamber PBF-LB/M with cryogenic unit and vacuum option)
- Metal powder-based additive manufacturing - PBF-LB/M (SLM Solutions, SLM125)
- Polymer-based additive manufacturing – SLS (Sinterit, Lisa X)
![[Translate to English:] Sinterit_LISA_X_-_SLS-Anlage](/fileadmin/images/content/forschung/ausstattung/Sinterit_LISA_X_-_SLS-Anlage.jpg)