Polymer Processing and Component Design

The properties of polymers are linked stronger to their particular processing conditions, compared to any other class of material. The fundamental research focus for the Department of Polymer Processing and Component Design lies within the examination of process chains ranging from the compounding of the material, to the processing of parts, up to the prediction of mechanical properties of these parts. This includes in particular the formation of process induced internal structures and internal stress as well as their consideration in the design of the component.
The many years of experience in the field of compounding includes expertise in technical thermoplastics and high performance polymers, compounds with an extremely high content of filler material, the control of reactive processes in extruders, and further developments in the compounding technologies, such as the optimization of the degasing performance of high performance double screw extruders. The development and consolidation of these technologies is assisted by fluidic simulation of compounding processes.

In the area of plastics processing the focus lies on injection molding and film production processes. Work priorities in material modeling are material behavior under high load velocities and multi-axial strains.

• Development and compounding of polymer molding materials
• Process development for double screw extruders
• Reactive processing in extruders
• Process monitoring and development process monitoring methods
• Injection molding, 1 and 2 component injection, and other selected special procedures
• Development of bonding techniques under consideration of morphologies
• Material data and models for injection molding simulation
• Material data and material cards for part simulation
• Calculation of internal stress
• Fiber structure analysis ( Fiber length, orientation and dispersion)

• Automotive
• Aviation
• Mechanical engineering
• Construction industry
• Electronics
• Raw materials / Resources / Chemistry