About the Laboratory
For over 30 years, research, testing, teaching and training have been carried out in the experimental laboratory of the Materials Mechanics Group.
Research will focus primarily on the following areas
- Cyclic material data,
- Fatigue strength of metallic materials and components,
- Welded joints, components and mechanical fasteners subjected to uni- and multi-axial cyclic and static loads
Tests are carried out, for example, on ultra-high-strength steels, welded joints, high-strength structural steels, reinforcing steel for concrete, glass or plastic materials with a significant tendency to creep (bitumen).
Selected lectures from the Materials Mechanics Group are supported by experiments, which bring the theory to life for students.
Facilities
The experimental laboratory is equipped with a range of testing machines for various applications. For uniaxial tests, the following are available:
- 4 servo-hydraulic testing machines (60 kN, 60 kN, 100 kN und 630 kN) as well as a
- 1 mechanical horizontal pulser (200 kN).
Our special features include the
- servo-hydraulic axial-torsional testing machine (250kN / 4kNm) as well as a
- A 3D scanner capable of capturing, for example, weld seam surfaces with a resolution of 30 μm and a
- A cooling unit used to carry out tests on material strength at low temperatures.
In addition, we have equipment for
- optical microscopy examinations
- Measurement of surface roughness
- Measurement of deformation and strain fields using Digital Image Correlation (DIC)
- Detection of cracks using a magnetic particle flaw detector
The workshop area, which forms part of the experimental laboratory, enables the production of specimens and the construction of specimen adaptors for carrying out experiments.
Further investigations, for example using scanning electron microscopy, are carried out in collaboration with partners at TU Darmstadt who have suitably equipped laboratory facilities.
