TU Dresden

The research and development activities of the Institut für Leichtbau und Kunststofftechnik (ILK) of the TU Dresden are in the field of the design of load-adapted lightweight structures made of high-performance-materials such as light metals, polymers, fibre reinforced materials (PMC, MMC), textile-reinforced composites, smart materials, ceramics, steel-hybrid composites or elastomers. The following activities are performed at the ILK:

• Static, dynamic (service strength) and highly dynamic (crash) characterization of lightweight materials
• Design, structural analysis, simulation and optimisation of lightweight structures made of isotropic and anisotropic materials
• Manufacture, experimental evaluation and testing of prototypes and components, e.g. space-frame structures, hybrid structures and high-speed rotors

Therefore, the ILK possesses a considerably equipment such as a laboratory for short term, long term and cyclic loading tests including temperature and media effects, static and dynamic tension/compression-torsion testing units including environmetal chambers, highly dynamical multiaxial test stands, a crash test stand, resonance and hysteresis testing facilities, acoustical emission analysis, clamping grid for static and dynamic components tests, tribological test stands, vaccum high-speed rotor testing units, high temperature and high pressure autoclaves, plastic engineering and injection moulding plant, resin transfer moulding unit, a heatable press and a 5-axis winding machine as well as a CAE-laboratory.

Moreover the ILK is a member of the Materialforschungsverbund Dresden (MFD), where more than 1000 scientists from different institutes in Dresden (Fraunhofer, Max-Planck, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz, TU Dresden) are associated in order to carry out research on novel materials.

The Institut für Leichtbau und Kunststofftechnik is taking part in the Theme I The Modular Car (ModCar). Here it is especially resonsible for WP 2: Outer Modules and Skin Panels for the modular Car, where the development of a modular door and skin panel process technologies are addressed. Within this WP the ILK is in charge of the development of novel design and production concepts for function-integrated vehicle components, which allow efficient build-to-order systems.

Especially issues related to components and multi-functional panel structures of low density, high stiffness, high strength, high damping and good acoustic properties as well as improved structural robustness and high crashworthiness are the focus of the development work done by the TU Dresden, ILK. Therefore the definition of technical and economical specifications and requirements have to be defined in a close interaction with the industrial partnes, a characterisation and choice of predestined multi-functional materials has to be performed, concepts and virtual models have to be generated and the numerical simulation of the structural behaviour of advanced skin panel structures has to be carried out. Moreover, issues of cost effective tooling, class A surface quality and adapted joining technologies as well as recycling have to be considered in a parallel and interactive process with the IP partners in order to meet the needs of the radically innovative production approach of the ModCar-theme.

The ILK, TU Dresden has gained broad experiences of many years not only in the field of basic and applied research on advanced lightweight materials and novel multi-functional components but especially in various industrial development projects. Within these projects the ILK successfully developed one-step lightweight solutions for automotive industries, aircraft industries and general mechanical engineering industries starting from the material choice and characterisation over the design, simulation and optimisation to the prototyping and testing.

For this overall design process at the ILK an interdisciplinary team of international engineers (mechanical engineering, material science, electrical engineering, civil engineering), engineering mathematicians and physicists is familiar with the latest simulation tools and manufacture technologies as well as their improvement. The ILK is involved in many national and international projects, networks and committees for acquiring know how and design rules for advanced series lightweight components. Based on this continuous spectrum the ILK is a able to develop the concepts for BTO-outer skin panels, including all aspects of material choice and characterisation, design, virtual models, simulation, optimization, manufacturing, joining, testing, cost estimation and recycling.