Structural durability division
Our aim
Components and structures designed to be resilient and particularly resource-efficient which function reliably during the planned period of use.
Our services
Numerical, metrological and experimental methods of structural durability which we use flexibly and adapt to the character of the task. For the past 80 years LBF has stood for excellence and application orientation in structural durability. This is a tradition that we appreciate and that we are constantly evolving: We follow a highly application-oriented approach to researching into and working on the lifetime-oriented design of components, subassemblies and systems in road and rail-bound vehicle construction, in shipping, aviation and also in crane construction and wind turbines. For this we use innovative and efficient testing technology which we develop ourselves when specific requirements make this necessary. From very small loads up to a force range of 2 MN, in each case we use the optimum actuator and testing systems: electric and electromechanical drives, resonant or ultrasound test machines and servohydraulic cylinders.
We use finite element and multibody simulation methods to specifically process aspects that supplement and expand testing or metrological processes.
Materials and Components (Dr.-Ing. Heinz Kaufmann):
- Testing and assessment of structural durability: metallic and ceramic materials / components under cyclic loading with constant and variable load amplitudes.
- Development and application of numerical methods, consideration of production properties and surface post-treatment.
- Efficient determination of component fatigue strengths in such as crankshafts and connecting rods, including the statistical characteristics of S/N and fatigue life curves (Gassner tests).
- Determination of the fatigue strength of materials / components under the influence of aggressive media such as fuels, corrosive aqueous solutions or hydrogen.
Assemblies and Systems (Dipl.-Ing. Marc Wallmichrath):
- Characterization of rubber/metal components, determination of the structural durability.
- Numerical elastomer models, assignment of quantitative data from the experiment.
- Description of complex kinematics using multi-body simulation (MBS), construction and verification of such models up to the complete vehicle
- Derivation of time-lapse test programs for laboratory testing (basis: measured load-time series).
- Design, development and implementation of customized testing scopes incl. construction of any necessary special test rigs.
- Operational load simulation trials, ensuring the structural durability of assemblies / systems.
Contact
Division Director Structural Durability and System Reliability, Deputy Director
- R. Heim
- Phone: +49 6151 705-283
- ruediger.heim@lbf.fraunhofer.de