2011-09-19 Conference MECA SENS

Knowing exactly where a crack could develop in an engine block

At the 6th international conference "MECA SENS - Mechanical Stress Evaluation by Neutrons and Synchrotron Radiation" from the 7th to 9th of September more than 120 participants from 20 countries exchanged views on the subject of residual stresses. The event was organized by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht. Residual stresses occur in the manufacture of components, for example, of aircraft and vehicles and can lead to their failure. Therefore, it is important to understand how internal stresses arise in production processes, how to avoid them or may even increase the lifespan of components. Residual stresses can be measured using neutron and synchrotron radiation, since these components enable the investigation of large components even during the production process.

Was presentetd at MECA SENS: The new HEMS-Beamline at the Synchrotron Radiation source PETRA III in Hamburg

Chairman of the event is Prof. Dr. Andreas Schreyer, director of the department of materials physics at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research. "We have the core competence to investigate the inner structure of materials by neutron and synchrotron radiation," explains Schreyer. "With our research platform, German Engineering Materials Science Centre (GEMS), we also combine instruments and activities in this area and offer this to external users from home and abroad. There have been so much interest for GEMS internationally, that we have been asked to organize the bi-annual MECA SENS Conference this time in Hamburg. This gave participants the opportunity to visit our new leading experiments at DESY, that we operate within the framework of GEMS."

At the conference the scientists presented their instruments and methods in many lectures and presentations. Among other things, they presented an in-situ tool with which they can weld live in the synchrotron beam. Thereby changes in the materials occuring during the welding operation can be made visible.

The new GEMS Instruments at DESY in Hamburg and their applications were also presented. Such as the New High Energy Materials Science Beamline (HEMS) at the synchrotron radiation source PETRA III at DESY. HEMS uses the very high X-ray energy to penetrate deeply into materials. Using the instrument HEMS researchers can, for example, illustrate complete car engines.

This understanding of the behaviour of materials helps the engineers in the automotive and aircraft industries. New materials can be created and proven materials further developed. It is exactly in these important fields of industry, in which scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht are involved in numerous departments of the Institute for Materials Research.