Forming and Manufacture of Lightweight High-Performance Components: International Research Experience for Students at the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

Non-technical Abstract: The project will fund 10-week long research experiences of three groups of up to five undergraduate and graduate students from The Ohio State University (OSU) at the Institute of Forming Technology and Lightweight Construction (Institut fuer Umformtechnik und Leichtbau, IUL), in the Technical University at Dortmund (TU Dortmund) during the summer months of 2017 to 2019. The students will work on research topics related to ongoing collaborations between faculty members at TU Dortmund and OSU. The research conducted will form part of undergraduate research experiences, or graduate theses, of the participating students. The project takes advantage of complementary institutional research strengths: fundamental physical modelling and understanding of the materials, processes, and systems involved in forming (a strength of OSU), and validation of forming process ideas by application in laboratory and industrial scales (a strength of IUL). As a result of these research experiences, OSU students will develop a nuanced appreciation of research approaches and perspectives in the theme area, and will be better able to incorporate such insights into their own research efforts. Involvement in ongoing research at IUL will also introduce students to the state of the art in advanced manufacturing, and provide them insights into topics of current industrial interest in Europe. Intensive German language instruction prior to the visit to Germany will enable more effective student experiences. Technical Abstract: The unifying project theme is the forming and manufacture of lightweight high-performance components, with individual research efforts focusing on one or more of the following aspects: materials modeling and characterization, forming process innovation, and product and process design and performance enhancement. More specifically, the research topics investigated will include investigations into the underlying physics of the vaporizing wire effect in impulse metal forming and development of more energy efficient vaporizing foil welding; improved material behavior modeling of thermomechanical processing; experimental characterization, prototyping, and numerical modeling of forming of parts with metals, composites, and hybrid materials; use of X-ray and neutron imaging techniques to characterize local defects or voids resulting from metal forming; and use of physics-based process models to achieve improved process and product property control in the manufacture of optimized lightweight structures. The project will also establish the foundation for a broader and longer-term educational and research partnership between OSU and TU Dortmund.