Mechanical Surface Treatment

Mechanical surface treatment comprises a number of processes from the main manufacturing group "Modification of material properties", which are used to improve the component behaviour under operational loads. Mechanical surface treatments include, for example, shot peening, deep rolling, machine hammer peening, and some other processes that are used in customized industrial applications. The mechanical surface treatment of a component causes plastic deformation of its surface layer, resulting in local work hardening and the formation of residual compressive stresses. In particular, the processes deep rolling and machine hammer peening can also be used to smooth and structure surfaces due to their deterministic nature. A combination of smooth surface, work hardening and residual compressive stresses is particularly advantageous for improving the service life properties in the fatigue stress frequently encountered in mechanical, automotive and aircraft engineering. Structured surfaces, such as bionic ones, can also be created to optimize wear behavior.

The focus of the research work in the department "Manufacturing and Component Behavior" is on the new and further development of processes, the identification of the relationships between process parameters, surface layer characteristics and component behavior, as well as numerical process simulation and modeling for the prediction of surface layer properties and component behavior. Furthermore, we deal with thermomechanical surface treatments, such as shot peening at elevated temperature or machine hammer peening under cryogenic conditions. Also in the context of additive manufacturing, mechanical surface treatments are used as final processes or processes switched within the build-up to optimize surface layer and component properties. This illustrates the intensive interdependence of the issues considered within the department "Production and component behaviour".

In the field of mechanical surface treatment we are currently working on the following topics:

• LEAFSLIM (EU-funded project): Lightweight steel leaf springs with improved durability and reliability
  Wear-O (Transnational CORNET-Project): Wear optimization of highly stressed shaping tools