Bachelor thesis or Master thesis
Since the mechanical properties of the SFT component are created during the injection moulding process, the entire process chain must be considered when researching material fatigue. Short-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (SFT) are predominantly processed using the injection moulding process, as this method enables the economical, high-quality and automatic production of components. Due to the flow conditions within the melt, however, a layer structure with different fiber orientations is created across the wall thickness. These local anisotropies make it difficult to characterize the mechanical properties experimentally, as the orientation of the fibers has a considerable influence on the micromechanical damage mechanisms present. For this reason, an injection moulding tool was developed at IKV that makes it possible to produce geometries with homogeneous, highly oriented fibers. With a thesis at IKV, you have the opportunity to acquire comprehensive knowledge and skills in injection moulding and thus contribute to the further development of the process.
© IKVThe work is related to this research project:
The fatigue mechanisms in short-fiber-reinforced plastics are not yet fully understood. For this reason, components fail prematurely, are replaced early or have to be over-dimensioned using large amounts of material in order to ensure operational stability. The mechanical characterization of recyclable polypropylene allows well-founded statements to be made about its suitability for semi-structural applications in the automotive sector. This promotes the targeted use of recyclable materials in such components and increases the proportion of sustainable materials. As part of the working group, you will contribute to research into material fatigue and thus support IKV in developing methods for safe dimensioning, taking sustainability into account.
Objective:
The aim of your work will be to optimize the process parameters for short-fiber-reinforced polypropylene so that the fibers are homogeneously highly oriented over the geometry thickness. You will systematically investigate the relationship between the material used and the required process parameters. You will document your methodology and the knowledge you have gained in a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis.
| For a Bachelor's thesis you will work on the following tasks | For a Master's thesis you will work on the following tasks |
| Induction into injection moulding with a literature search on the state of the art | Induction into injection moulding with a literature search on the state of the art |
| Creating a statistical design of experiments (DOE) to systematically investigate the influence of process parameters | Conducting an injection moulding simulation to estimate optimal process parameters |
| Production of test geometries with different process parameters | creation of a statistical design of experiments (DOE) to systematically investigate the influence of the process parameters |
| Carrying out micro-computed tomography investigations to determine fiber orientation | production of test geometries with various process parameters |
| Evaluation of the influence of process parameters on fiber orientation | Conducting micro-computed tomography investigations to determine fiber orientation |
| Evaluation of the influences of the process parameters on the fiber orientation and comparison with the injection moulding simulations | |
| Carrying out tensile tests with different extraction directions |
Your profile
- Degree in natural sciences or engineering
- Independent and quality-conscious way of working
- Interest in experimental work and scientific data analysis
- Ideally initial experience with the processing of plastics