Research projects
MATFEM have participated in research projects that are promoted
and partly funded by the European Union and various federal ministries
of Germany. In these projects, universities, research facilities
and the industry work together.
These projects are an opportunity to integrate recent findings
into our own developments, especially into the
material models.
addLight
This project lines out design and manufacturing concepts for additively
manufactured lightweight lattice structures manufactured by laser
powder bed fusion (LPBF) subjected to quasi-static, dynamically and
cyclical loads.
MATFEM’s part in the project is a description
of bulk materials with orthotropy of plasticity and orthotropy of ductility
caused by the layer-wise production process. In addition MATFEM will develop a
homogenized material model for different lattice structures based on its modular
material model MF GenYld + CrachFEM. This
homogenized material model will allow to simulate misue and crash load cases of
lightweight components with lattice structure surrounded by bulk material on a
macroscopic level.
Engineered
The project investigates new testing and simulation methods to describe
the post-fracture behaviour of glass-fibre reinforced polymer
structures.
MATFEM’s task is to develop a suitable material model
and to implement it as an experimental module for the material
model MF GenYld + CrachFEM.
LaserLeichter
This project deals with the development of laser-based joining
technologies for heterogeneous light-weight designs.
MATFEM simulates heterogeneous joints in
detail using FEM meso-models. Experimental and virtual
trials will be used to derive macro-models, which should allow the stiffness
and failure behaviour of the heterogeneous connections to be simulated with
acceptable accuracy for crash simulations under industrial conditions. The
basis for the material description is our material model
MF GenYld + CrachFEM.
UltraCaulk
This project tries to develop a new hybrid manufacturing technique:
ultrasonically assisted forming and caulking.
MATFEM intends to develop a constitutive model to
represent plasticity of metals with superimposed ultrasonic vibration and
integrate it into the user material model MF GenYld
+ CrachFEM. Further activities concern improved modelling of friction
between tool and part with ultrasonic excitation.
NADIA Project
This project simulates in-service loads of car components made from
cast light alloys while considering the influence of
manufacturing and heat-tretments.
MATFEM took part in two of the work packages
of this project: We developed material models and simulation techniques to
model cast parts in the body-in-white structure under crash loads and to
model cast parts in the combustion engine under thermo-mechanical fatigue.
Both methods account for the local material properties that result from
the casting process.