Joining and Assessment
Modern light-weight construction concepts require light weight, high strength materials and advanced joining technologies with high precision and high joint qualities. The research of the department Joining and Assessment (WMF) covers the development of laser beam welding processes including process simulation, the conception and fabrication of light-weight demonstrators as well as their testing and assessment with regard to their damage tolerance behaviour. For this purpose, the Large-scale Laser Beam Welding Facility has been installed in 2009 and has started its operation in 2010.
Laser Beam Welding Facility
For the assessment of fatigue and fracture behaviour of welded light-weight components, complex loading conditions as well as local mechanical properties and residual stress distributions in the weld area must be taken into account. With increasing size of the welded components, the costs for production and testing become an important factor.
Computer simulations, based on the material models and crack propagation simulations of the department Simulation of Solids and Structures (WMS), are applied for the development of complex light-weight structures. This saves large amounts of material and development time, and significantly reduces the development costs, which normally are generated by an empirical development strategy. At the same time, the gain of knowledge is strongly increased by the additional insight into the failure behaviour of the structures, which is obtained from the computer simulations.
Simulations of laser beam welding processes and predictions of failure behaviour are validated in the experimental testing hall as well as in cooperation with the department Structural Research on New Materials (WPN) using neutrons and synchrotron radiation. Fundamental research on crack initiation and crack propagation on the microstructure scale of welded components is carried out in cooperation with the department Experimental Materials Mechanics (WME).
Computer simulations, based on the material models and crack propagation simulations of the department Simulation of Solids and Structures (WMS), are applied for the development of complex light-weight structures. This saves large amounts of material and development time, and significantly reduces the development costs, which normally are generated by an empirical development strategy. At the same time, the gain of knowledge is strongly increased by the additional insight into the failure behaviour of the structures, which is obtained from the computer simulations.
Simulations of laser beam welding processes and predictions of failure behaviour are validated in the experimental testing hall as well as in cooperation with the department Structural Research on New Materials (WPN) using neutrons and synchrotron radiation. Fundamental research on crack initiation and crack propagation on the microstructure scale of welded components is carried out in cooperation with the department Experimental Materials Mechanics (WME).