Numerical simulation and calculation for developing structurally relevant products

Simulation and manufacturing working closely together

News – Fraunhofer IWS Dresden /

In the course of the digital revolution, numerical simulation and calculation methods are taking on a decisive role in all product lifecycle stages. In order to develop structurally relevant products for the automotive and aerospace industries as well as for medical and energy technologies, it is necessary to have a holistic strategy with particularly close inter¬linking between virtual and real worlds.

Simulations enable the optimal design of scaffold structures Stress distribution of a compression-loaded TPMS scaffold structure (Schoen Gyroid Shell 2 x 2 x 2 cell arrangement).
© Fraunhofer IWS Dresden
Simulations enable the optimal design of scaffold structures Stress distribution of a compression-loaded TPMS scaffold structure (Schoen Gyroid Shell 2 x 2 x 2 cell arrangement).
Solving complex friction stir welding and laser welding tasks on the multifunctional “Pentapod“ system.
© Fraunhofer IWS Dresden
Solving complex friction stir welding and laser welding tasks on the multifunctional “Pentapod“ system.
Simulations enable precise predictions of process and product properties in the joining workflow.
© Fraunhofer IWS Dresden
Simulations enable precise predictions of process and product properties in the joining workflow.

Numerical simulation and calculation for developing structurally relevant products

“Product developments within structural mechanical appli­cations are currently hardly imaginable without numerical simulations,” says Dr. Markus Wagner, group lead of the group Component Design and Special Technologies at Fraunhofer IWS. The simulation results' quality strongly depends on understanding the material- and process-specific parameters.

With this intention, his newly founded focuses on a particularly close link between simulation, pro­cess development and component testing in order to develop tailored all-in-one solutions for tomorrow's industry.

 

A collaboration for realistic and ecological models

The close cooperation with process development and materials engineering experts makes possible the generation and ana­lysis of realistic simulation models. The research field con­centrates on efficient joining technologies for metallic and non-metallic hybrid structures, such as laser beam and fric­tion stir welding, magnetic pulse joining, structural adhesive bonding, direct thermal joining, and a wide range of inno­vative additive manufacturing technologies. In addition, the ecological use of resources represents a further priority in the development of future-proof concepts and manufacturing technologies. "We primarily address the automotive, aerospace and medical industries. We also focus on the mechanical engineering and energy and environmental industries," Dr. Markus Wagner lists.
Application-related focal points for the close cooperation between simulation and manufacturing are:

  • Development, manufacturing and testing of laser-welded powertrain components for automotive electric and combustion engines as well as for aerospace applications
  • Holistic processing of joining tasks for material and form-fit joints between conventionally difficult-to-weld and between different materials by means of friction stir welding (FSW) and magnetic pulse welding (MPW)
  • Numerical simulation and design of additively manufactured bone implants featuring optimized biomechanics performance and biocompatibility based on the triple-periodic minimal surface (TPMS) principle
  • Holistic development of process-, material- and stress-optimized design solutions for lightweight body structures all the way to large welded components for steel construction and the energy sector