We are looking for a research assistant (TV-L 13) to join our team as soon as possible to work in the research area of ‘Rubber extrusion and vulcanisation’.
Join our team and help shape the future of plastics production!
About the Research Area:
When processing rubber compounds into continuous profiles, extrusion and the subsequent vulcanization—which involves a cross-linking reaction—are key elements in the manufacture of high-quality elastomer products. Extrusion processes are optimized for high throughput and good dimensional accuracy of the extruded profiles. In this context, consideration must be given to both equipment and tooling-related factors as well as the rheological properties of the rubber compounds. During vulcanization, a large amount of energy is subsequently applied to cross-link the rubber. Depending on the rubber compound, energy consumption can be significantly reduced and made more sustainable through various heating strategies—namely, the targeted use of infrared radiation, hot air, microwaves, or a salt bath.
The Extrusion and Rubber Technology Department has been engaged in rubber extrusion and vulcanization for many years. To this end, the IKV’s technical facilities feature comprehensive equipment for the extrusion, rheological characterization, and vulcanization of rubbers. To address the challenge of rising energy and raw material prices, low-scrap extrusion and the efficient combination of vulcanization processes—tailored to the product being manufactured—are central issues in this field of research. Research in this field drives the efficient design of extruders, extrusion dies, and the vulcanization process, as well as the expansion of process engineering possibilities.
Your responsibilities:
- As the head of the working group, you are responsible for planning and carrying out research projects in the field of rubber vulcanization.
- You will be responsible for the technical and financial coordination of these projects, as well as for guiding and supervising a motivated team of student employees.
- They actively participate in defining relevant research questions and developing new research ideas.
- They take on tasks in the field of teaching at RWTH Aachen University, such as supervising Bachelor’s and Master’s theses.
- You maintain intensive contacts with numerous national and international industrial partners and research institutes and represent your specialist area in presentations and lectures at conferences and symposia.
Your qualifications:
You have successfully completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree program in mechanical engineering with a specialization in plastics engineering (or a comparable degree program) at a technical college or university. Ideally, you already have practical experience in plastics processing. You enjoy working independently and are able to tackle complex problems in a structured manner. In addition, you are open-minded when interacting with others and have the ability to motivate yourself and others. In addition to German, you have a very good command of spoken and written English. Proficiency in MS Windows and Office is required.
What We Offer:
You will have the opportunity to put your own ideas into practice. We also offer exciting, varied, and diverse tasks within an open-minded, highly motivated team of scientists, where you will work independently.
Your responsibilities will allow you to work closely with partners from both industry and academia. In addition, we offer you the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in the aforementioned field.
Please send your detailed and complete application documents digitally to: bewerbungen@ikv.rwth-aachen.de