Over the past four years, researchers from eight institutes at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, as well as from Laser Zentrum Hannover and Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover provided new impulses for production engineering. The collaborative research centre 1153 "Process Chain for Manufacturing Hybrid High Performance Components by Tailored Forming" is led by the Institute of Forming Technology and Machines (IFUM) at Hannover Centre for Production Technology. The head of the LUH institute, Professor Bernd-Arno Behrens, acts as spokesperson. Johanna Uhe, a members of research staff at IFUM, holds the position of managing director.
As the name implies, the collaborative research centre aims to develop tailored high performance components. For example, specific areas of a component must be as light as possible, while other areas need to be particularly wear resistant. In order to produce such light-weight components in a resource efficient manner, the "right" material must be used in the respective area. Therefore, researchers first join two different materials to form a semi-finished product which is then used to produce a tailored high performance component via forming and finishing. Within four years, they developed and implemented various process chains for producing hybrid solid components.
Forming a single component from different joint materials is a new procedure in massive forming. This approach has enormous potential: whether turbines, undercarriage components or prostheses - solid components with different stress zones are the rule rather than the exception. However, this also poses many challenges. "The extension of the CRC acknowledges our achievements over the past years", emphasises Professor Behrens, CRC spokesperson, with regard to the accomplishments of the team.
Starting in July, the second funding period will focus on expanding the spectrum of materials. Managing director Johanna Uhe elaborates: "We intend to incorporate additional features into the components and analyse new combinations of materials. The German Research Foundation approved 18 sub-projects, two of which are transfer projects in collaboration with industry partners. Refining existing steps and process chains in an application-oriented manner as well as transferring our findings into the industry is extremely important to us."
A total of twelve institutions will be involved in the second funding period of CRC 1153, including nine institutes at Leibniz University Hannover, TIB - Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology and University Library, as well as Laser Zentrum Hannover and Institut für Integrierte Produktion. New collaboration partners are the Institute of Assembly Technology (match) at Hannover Centre for Production Technology and TIB.
Further information on the collaborative research centre "Tailored Forming" can be found at www.sfb1153.uni-hannover.de or in the following feature article: "Wir machen die Welle" (2017, only available in German) https://www.pzh.uni-hannover.de/fileadmin/PZH/_downloads/2017/pzh_2017_die_welle_tailored_forming.pdf
Note to editors:
For further information, please contact Johanna Uhe, managing director of CRC 1153 (Tel. +49 511 762 3825, Email uhe@ifum.uni-hannover.de).
