1 Greeting Dear Readers, A busy summer is coming for all scientific and technical staff of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE to an end. By September 2015, the first construction phase of the MERGE Technology Centre (MTC) is completed and the first machines and sys- tems are installed. The configuration of the central MERGE machine (ILCx: Integrative Lightweight Manufacturing Com- plex) is also in its final stages. We would like to thank all SLK employees and industry partners who have contributed to this rapid and smooth development of the MERGE piloting. As part of the 2 nd International MERGE Technologies Confe- rence (IMTC), which will be held in Chemnitz on 1 st - 2 nd Octo- ber 2015, conference participants will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the new Technology Centre MTC. We invite you cordially to take part. We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. Prof. Lothar Kroll CEO Charisma Far Beyond the Region On 3 rd July 2015 the Excellence Council of the Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE met at the Technische Universität Chemnitz. The Council makes recommendations and statements regarding MERGE’s strategic development at the political level, taking into account local, state, federal and European policy aspects. Fur- thermore, the members contribute with their competence, their long-standing and outstanding experience in their fields and their charisma to strengthen and promote the national and internatio- nal visibility of the Cluster of Excellence. The Council has a total of nine members: Dr. Eberhard Alles, Chancellor of the TU Chemnitz; Frank Kupfer, Chairman of the CDU parliamentary group of the Saxon Parliament; Barbara Lud- wig, Mayor of Chemnitz; Dr. Stephan Meyer, member of the Saxon Landtag and the Committee for Science and Higher Education, Culture and the Media; Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft; Dr. Nikolas Stihl, Chairman of the Advisory Board and Supervisory Board of ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG, Waiblingen; Prof. Dr. Marek Tukiendorf, Rector of the Technical University of Opole, Poland; Hermann Winkler, member of the European Parliament; and Prof. Arnold van Zyl, Rector of the TU Chemnitz. The members’ meeting was held on the premises of the Cluster of Excellence on the Reichenhainer Straße campus. Together with Prof. Dr. Andreas Schubert, Vice-Rector for Knowledge and Technology Transfer of the TU, who was invited as a guest to the event, Prof. van Zyl highlighted the structural impact and further development of MERGE. As a central institution of the university, MERGE reinforces the three core competencies of the university. In addition, the Cluster makes contributions to teaching, research and transfer. Through the International Master’s Programme Merge Technologies for Resource Efficiency, students benefit from the research of the cluster and its close links to many re- gional SMEs and carry out their studies in an interdisciplinary framework. By building a new technology centre, MERGE also contributes to the development of the university’s infrastructure. As early as autumn 2015, the first construction phase should be completed. Prof. Lothar Kroll, spokesperson and coordinator of the Federal Cluster of Excellence, was also invited to attend the meeting of Cluster of Excellence MERGE Merge Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures Dr. Jürgen Tröltzsch Scientific Director Dr. Isabelle Roth Administrative Director NEWSLETTER July/August 2015
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› NEWSLETTER July/August 2015Cluster of Excellence MERGE
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Greeting
Dear Readers,
A busy summer is coming for all scientific and technical staff of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE to an end. By September 2015, the first construction phase of the MERGE Technology Centre (MTC) is completed and the first machines and sys-tems are installed. The configuration of the central MERGE machine (ILCx: Integrative Lightweight Manufacturing Com-plex) is also in its final stages. We would like to thank all SLK employees and industry partners who have contributed to this rapid and smooth development of the MERGE piloting.
As part of the 2nd International MERGE Technologies Confe-rence (IMTC), which will be held in Chemnitz on 1st - 2nd Octo-ber 2015, conference participants will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the new Technology Centre MTC. We invite you cordially to take part.
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.
Prof. Lothar KrollCEO
Charisma Far Beyond the Region
On 3rd July 2015 the Excellence Council of the Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE met at the Technische Universität Chemnitz. The Council makes recommendations and statements regarding MERGE’s strategic development at the political level, taking into account local, state, federal and European policy aspects. Fur-thermore, the members contribute with their competence, their long-standing and outstanding experience in their fields and their charisma to strengthen and promote the national and internatio-nal visibility of the Cluster of Excellence.
The Council has a total of nine members: Dr. Eberhard Alles, Chancellor of the TU Chemnitz; Frank Kupfer, Chairman of the CDU parliamentary group of the Saxon Parliament; Barbara Lud-wig, Mayor of Chemnitz; Dr. Stephan Meyer, member of the Saxon Landtag and the Committee for Science and Higher Education, Culture and the Media; Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft; Dr. Nikolas Stihl, Chairman of the Advisory Board and Supervisory Board of ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG, Waiblingen; Prof. Dr. Marek Tukiendorf, Rector of the Technical University of Opole, Poland; Hermann Winkler, member of the European Parliament; and Prof. Arnold van Zyl, Rector of the TU Chemnitz.
The members’ meeting was held on the premises of the Cluster of Excellence on the Reichenhainer Straße campus. Together with Prof. Dr. Andreas Schubert, Vice-Rector for Knowledge and Technology Transfer of the TU, who was invited as a guest to the event, Prof. van Zyl highlighted the structural impact and further development of MERGE. As a central institution of the university, MERGE reinforces the three core competencies of the university. In addition, the Cluster makes contributions to teaching, research and transfer. Through the International Master’s Programme Merge Technologies for Resource Efficiency, students benefit from the research of the cluster and its close links to many re-gional SMEs and carry out their studies in an interdisciplinary framework. By building a new technology centre, MERGE also contributes to the development of the university’s infrastructure. As early as autumn 2015, the first construction phase should be completed.
Prof. Lothar Kroll, spokesperson and coordinator of the Federal Cluster of Excellence, was also invited to attend the meeting of
Cluster of Excellence MERGEMerge Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures
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the Excellence Council as a guest. He informed the members about the current state of research, sustainability, further mea-sures and the strategic orientation of the cluster. The numerous scientific contributions and patents, the establishment of an industrial advisory board with 41 national and international companies were met with great respect. For the work performed at the cluster, MERGE received many words of praise from the Excellence Council members.
Members of the Council and representatives of the Federal Cluster of Excellence MERGE during intensive discussions. Photo: Steve Conrad
A special focus at MERGE lies on the transfer of knowledge. The cluster comprises many SMEs in addition to large enterprises, representing the value chain “from material to lightweight struc-ture”. The cluster’s project results serve leading markets of the automotive industry, aerospace, mechanical engineering and microsystems technology. Thus, an important impetus for future sustainable business development is given to the companies in-volved - especially the Saxon SMEs. Most recently, the Cluster of Excellence was recognized and honoured by Prof. Dr. Johanna Wanka, Minister of Education and Research, as part of the fun-ding measure “Internationalisation of top-level clusters, future projects and similar networks”.
Prof. Dr. Tukiendorf, Rector of the TU Opole (Poland) even attri-butes the cluster a role model function, so that similar alliances between industry and research have been and can continue to be built at this university. The Mayor of Chemnitz Barbara Lud-wig praised the contribution to urban development that is made through connection with such a research project.
International Workshop on Biocomposites in Bangkok
The cooperation between the Technische Universität Chemnitz and the King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) exists for almost ten years now and serves mainly the training and exchange of scientists, lecturers and students, particularly in the field of engineering sciences. From 13th to 15th July 2015 representatives of the TU Chemnitz were hosted by the Sirindhorn International Thai German Graduate School of Engi-neering (TGGS), an institution of the King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB).
As part of the jointly organised Thai-German Workshop “Natu-ral Fiber Plastic Composites for Automotive Applications”, the MERGE management board presented along with scientists from the field of biocomposites new technologies and developments in the field of fibre-plastic composites made from renewable resour-ces. The MERGE representatives were accompanied by the Vice President of Krauss Maffei Technologies GmbH and the Chairman of the MERGE Industrial Advisory Board, Georg P. Holzinger. Prof. Marek Tukiendorf, Member of the Excellence Council, also accom-panied the delegation. Around 100 participants, including about 80 industrial representatives, attended the workshop. Overall, the event was very successful and thanks to the audience intensive discussions led to further collaborations. The scientific exchange was another focus of the workshop. For example, an intermediary review of a jointly supervised doctorate took place.
Prof. Suchart Siengchin (KMUTNB), Dr. Jürgen Tröltzsch (TU Chemnitz), Dr. Arisara Chaikitti-ratana (KMUTNB), Prof. André Wagenführ (TU Dresden), Carolin Siegel (TU Dresden), Prof. Lo-thar Kroll, Georg P. Holzinger (Krauss Maffei Technologies GmbH), Dr. Isabelle Roth (TU Chem-nitz), Ahmed-Amine Ouali (TU Chemnitz) (from left). Photo: private
In the following days various regional businesses were visited. For example, the company Cobra International Co. Ltd., a large processor of carbon fibres for applications in surfboards, wind boards, stand-up boards as well as carbon automotive parts in the field of vision.
A continuation of the Thai-German Workshop next year was alrea-dy confirmed by the invitation of the President of the KMUTNB, Prof. Dr. Teravuti Boonyasopon.
Award for Outstanding New Measurement Method
Having his or her own work acknowledged by a group of experts represents a very special distinction for every scientist. Maik Trautmann from the Professorship of Composite Materials of the TU Chemnitz experienced this honour. At the 20th Symposi-um for Composites and Material Compounds in Vienna, he was awarded the prize for the best poster presentation. Trautmann is a research assistant at the Federal Cluster of Excellence “Merge Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures” (MER-GE) in action field A.An expert jury selected Trautmann’s work on an innovative new measurement method of the surface roughness of circular re-
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inforcing fibres from 47 poster contributions and honoured it with the 1st prize. The method presented in the poster is based on a digital analysis in the micrometre range on the basis of fib-re cross-sections captured through electron microscopy. In this way, various reinforcing fibre geometries and the influence of fib-re pretreatment processes and coatings can be compared with high accuracy. At the meeting, Trautmann also presented results on novel hybrid sandwich structures consisting of an aluminum foam core with cover layers of thermoplastic hybrid laminates (CAPAAL).
Maik Trautmann (4th from right) received his first prize along along with the second and third place scientists. The award was presented by (from the right) Prof. Carlos Reque-na from the German Aerospace Centre, Prof. Christian Edtmaier from the Technical Uni-versity of Vienna, Prof. Bernhard Wielage from the TU Chemnitz and Dr. Michael Klinge (far left) from the Springer-Verlag. Among the first to congratulate were Prof. Guntram Wagner and Prof. Daisy Nestler of the Chair Composites of the TU Chemnitz (2nd and 3rd from left). Photo: privat
A total of eight employees of the Cluster of Excellence MER-GE attended the three-day symposium and presented their research on multifunctional hybrid lightweight structures. All contributions are published in the conference transcript at http://www.scientific.net.
Appointment to Associated Professor
On May 26th 2015, PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Daisy Nestler, Head of De-partment at the Professorship of Composite Materials and Head of the action field IRD A of the Federal Cluster of Excellence MER-GE, was appointed to associate professor. The rector of the TU Chemnitz, Prof. Arnold van Zyl, acknowledged thereby her merits in the field of composites and composite materials as well as her outstanding commitment in teaching. With over 120 publications, Prof. Nestler has made scientific contributions to metal, ceramic and polymer matrix composites and composite materials.
Prof. Nestler studied Materials Engineering and Materials Sci-ence at the TU BA Freiberg and the TU Chemnitz and received her doctorate degree (Dr.-Ing.) in the field of CVD-Boriding of Steels in 1988. She has been a research assistant and Head of the De-partment for Composite Materials / Material Composites at the Professorship of Composite Materials at the Institute of Materials Science and Materials Technology of the TU Chemnitz since 1st October 2006. In 2012 she successfully completed her habilita-tion on the topic of “Contribution to the Subject of Composites
– Material Compounds - Status quo and Research Approaches”. Her habilitation sets the basis for a methodological and orga-nisational realignment of composites. Prof. Nestler developed new systematisation, structuring and overviews. Assignments of established and new technologies contribute to the stability of the terminology “Hybrid Construction” and “Hybrid Composite”. It also outlines areas of activity of future research and development projects that lead to material concepts and current key topics of metal, ceramic and polymer matrix composites and hybrid com-posites. The hybrid composites are worth highlighting as a po-tential supporting pillar of future developments in lightweight construction, taking a key role in the large-scale, cost-efficient and resource-conserving production.
Prof. Daisy Nestler together with her colleagues at the Institute of Materials Sci-ence and Materials Technology (from left to right): Prof. Martin Wagner, Prof. Sieg-fried Steinhäuser, Prof. Thomas Lampke, Prof. Bernhard Wielage and Prof. Gun-tram Wagner. Photo: IWW
Prof. Nestler is also a TP applicant in the SFB 692 “HALS” and the group leader of the working group “Aluminum Matrix Composi-tes”. She has submitted numerous DFG and joint applications and plays a leading role at the Professorship of Composite Materials due to her expertise. Prof. Nestler will continue to contribute with all her strength not only in the central research topics of the TU Chemnitz and research on the multi-functional performance of large-scale lightweight structures, but also to act as an elected Senator of the non-professorial teaching staff.
MERGE at the 23rd ICCE in China
The “23rd Annual International Conference on Composites/ Nano Engineering”, with a total of 560 scientific lectures, was held at the Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, China from 12th to 18th July 2015. The ICCE-23 is an interdisciplinary engi-neering conference that brings together numerous researchers from different research areas in the field of composites. During this year’s event with up to five specific sessions, international scientists discussed new technologies and research topics in the field of Composites/Nano Engineering.
Alexander Hackert, a researcher at the Federal Cluster of Excel-lence MERGE presented as session chair the results of the work in the action field IRD-C1 with its contribution “Hybrid Sandwich Composites (HSC) with Porous Aluminum Core and Thermoplas-
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tic Fiber-Reinforced Composite Top Layers”. The focus was laid on the new technologies for the production of hybrid core com-posites and their production-ready application. Such multi-material construction methods are especially in the automotive lightweight construction of high interest, whereby the combina-tion of thermoplastic fibre-reinforced composites with metal dis-plays a special lightweight potential. The combination as a core composite in hybrid and composite construction was examined first on its suitability for series production and thereby verified as sandwich structure in large-scale production by a graded struc-ture and a new manufacturing technology.
Scientists of the TU-Chemnitz at the ICCE-23 2015 in Chengdu, China. (from left): Tomasz Osiecki, Alexander Hackert and Colin Gerstenberger. Photo: private
In another session, the scientists of the Department of Light-weight Structures and Polymer Technology, Colin Gerstenberger as session chair and Tomasz Osiecki, presented their current research work in the lectures “Load Adjusted Fiber Reinforced Polymer / Metal Joints In Cathodic Dip Paint Conditions” and “Thermoplastic Fiber Reinforced / Metal Hybrid Laminates for Structural Lightweight Applications”. The contents of the three lectures and the results of the investigations are also published in the international Elsevier Journal “Composites Part B: Enginee-ring”.
Moreover, the participation in the ICCE-23 also provided the op-portunity for scientific exchange with international scientists and with the Conference Chair and Director of the “Composite Material Research Laboratory” at the University of New Orleans, Professor David Hui and the Dean of the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering at the Praire View A&M University (Texas), Professor Kendall T. Harris. Thereby the prospects of an international cooperation in the field of science and teaching were discussed.
The visit and a tour of the “College of Mechanical Engineering” at the “Southwest Jiaotong University”, one of the oldest top univer-sities in China, rounded off the stay in Chengdu, offering scien-tists a glimpse of university life in the Chinese metropolis.
New Team Assistance for MERGE
Mrs. Ricarda Künzel-Ripp has been supporting the Cluster of Ex-cellence MERGE as the new team assistant since 1st July 2015.
She is a trained bilingual secretary and a management assistant for office communication. Besides being an assistant in the ser-vice sector, she worked, among other things, as a clerk for real estate financing.
From 29th to 30th October, 2015 the 2-day event “Women in Sci-ence and Engineering” for the women on the academic staff of the Excellence Cluster MERGE and the Collaborative Research Centres HALS and PT-PIESA as well as for female students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering will be held at the pentahotel Chemnitz.
Aim of the eventOn the one hand, the event contributes to gaining MINT female students for research and science. On the other hand, it provides the young female researchers of the three DFG research networks with a platform for exchange among colleagues and the cross-project networking.
During the event the participants will get an insight into the diver-se research areas of mechanical engineering and valuable offers to strengthen personal and professional skills. This is done in high quality workshops and interesting excursions. Throughout the event, participants can also establish useful contacts for their future career.
EventThe first day, 29th October, will start in the morning with an ope-ning lecture by Prof. Daisy Nestler. Subsequently the three ma-jor DFG research associations of the Department of Mechanical Engineering will present themselves. Afterwards the workshop “Academic Writing” gives the students important tips and advice
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on writing projects and dissertations. The workshop “Publishing in English” for the research assistants aims at facilitating them the efficient writing and publishing in prestigious journals. An entertaining career and motivational speaker rounds out the day during the common dinner.
On 30th October, the participants will have the opportunity to get to know engineering companies in the region as part of a field trip.
The exact schedule and further information will be announced in due time. The entire event (incl. meals) is free of charge.
Registration is now available via Email to Maika Filz: [email protected]
Contact:Maika FilzCoordinator for gender equality in the research networks Technische Universität Chemnitz - Zentrum für Chancengleichheit in Wissenschaft und Forschung Reichenhainer Straße 41, Room 00609126 ChemnitzTelephone: +49 371 531-34542Email: [email protected]/MERGE/gender
Cluster of Excellence MERGETechnische Universität ChemnitzReichenhainer Straße 31/3309126 Chemnitz
Smart Systems Integration
Processing, Systems and Application for Mass Production of Lightweight Structures
Materials, Semi-Finished Products and Composite Structures for Lightweight Design
Modelling and Simulation of Hybrid Structures and their Production Processes
More information: www.tu-chemnitz.de/IMTC
Best Paper AwardBest Poster Award Reviewed Proceedings
1-2 October 20152nd International MERGE Technologies Conference IMTCLightweight Structures
Facts and figures about MERGE› 7 participating research institutions› 39 professors› about 100 research assistants, technicians, administrative staff› 9 members in the Excellence Council› 17 members in the Scientific Advisory Board› 41 members in the Industrial Advisory Board› Projectduration: 01.11.2012 - 31.10.2017
