Fatigue Testing Device for Tension-Compression-Torsion-Loadings

• Subject Area: Materials Engineering
• Term: Funded in 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 584680899

This application is for the procurement of an electro-dynamic material testing machine capable of applying tensile, compressive and torsional loads. The magnitude of the loads must be selected to suit micro-samples obtained from additively manufactured components. The testing machine will be used within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre / Transregio (TRR) 375 to determine the intrinsic mechanical characteristics of workpieces manufactured using various additive manufacturing processes. TRR 375 is investigating the combination of different materials and processes for the manufacture of hybrid porous components (HyPo components) with adapted structure and functionality. The HyPo components are to be manufactured from mixtures of various stainless steels, foamed aluminium and, later, a combination of these materials. Gradations in the material composition and structural adjustments as well as weight savings through targeted porosity are planned for the components. In order to predict the mechanical properties of the HyPo components using simulation models in other subprojects of TRR 375, the mechanical properties of the individual components of these HyPo components, i.e. their intrinsic mechanical properties, must be available, which is why they are to be measured in subproject C02. Subproject C02, which is being worked on at AWP, deals with characterising the microstructure and determining the intrinsic mechanical properties of hybrid porous materials (HyPo materials). In order to determine these intrinsic properties, micro samples must be taken from areas of the HyPo components that are as homogeneous as possible and subjected to standard mechanical testing procedures. The size of the samples is limited because HyPo components can have high porosity and a graded material composition at the same time. This means that the volume of the samples to be tested is limited to small dimensions, so that testing machines suitable for testing micro-samples must be used. In real stress scenarios, local multi-axial stresses occur in HyPo components. In order to be able to take these into account when predicting properties, testing must be carried out under multi-axial stress in addition to determining the intrinsic properties under uniaxial stress. In addition to pure torsional stresses, superimposed tensile-compressive-torsional stresses with quasi-static and cyclic stress-time curves are also to be realised.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Zug-Druck-Torsions-Ermüdungsprüfmaschine
• Instrumentation Group: 2910 Dynamische Prüfmaschinen und -anlagen, Pulser
• Applicant Institution: Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau
• Leader: Professor Dr. Eberhard Kerscher