Fatigue and Surface Layer Optimization
- Understanding the fatigue strength of metallic materials based on microstructure-property correlations
- Analysis of fatigue properties across different lifetime regimes, temperature levels, and load types (e.g. tension-compression fatigue or rotating bending)
- Influence of different surface treatment processes (deep rolling at different temperatures, shot peening, laser shock peening, case hardening, hard turning)
- Analysis of surface layer properties (topography, microstructure, hardness and residual stress depth curves) and their stability
- Analysis of crack propagation behavior with a focus on the influence of microstructural / chemical gradients
- Fractographic analyses using a scanning electron microscope to characterize fatigue cracks (crack initiation and progression), accompanied by fracture mechanics-based lifetime assessment approaches
- Interfaces to the areas of "additive manufacturing" (structural integrity and/or post-treatment of components), "corrosion" (e.g. corrosion fatigue) and "radiographic fine structure analyses" (analysis of residual stress states)