New materials and AI-based solutions for intelligent condition monitoring and noise control

In an environment where value chains, production processes, and materials and components are optimized to the limits, we develop hardware and software solutions for smart maintenance applications as well as intelligent monitoring to prevent damage, optimize maintenance measures, and minimize unplanned downtime. The targeted influencing of vibrational properties of structures in mobile systems, machine learning and the promising metamaterials play a major role here.

Intelligent sensor technology for the targeted collection and assessment of large amounts of data, increasing networking, function distribution and real-time, crosssystem data communication, as well as function enhancement and mechatronization, are all drivers of digitization in modern products. Artificial intelligence and data-based services not only enable process chains in production to be analyzed, simplified and optimized. In fact, they also allow for structural monitoring that is adapted to current environmental and operating conditions, as well as actively influencing factors such as the vibration characteristics of machines and vehicles.

In the Smart Solutions area of expertise, scientists are researching and developing hardware and software solutions, based, among other things, on digital engineering modeling approaches, for smart maintenance appli cations, for predicting and preventing unplanned machine and system failures, and for increasing technical availability. Another topic is the targeted influencing of the vibrationrelated properties of structures in mobile systems such as vehicles and in machines and systems. In both cases, machine learning methods are used for the advanced analysis of growing volumes of data, in conjunction with intelligent sensors and sensor networks, as well as integrated actuator technology. In this context, work with so-called metamaterials is going even further. These have high potential for the structurally-integrated influencing and adjustment of qualities such as acoustic or structural dynamic properties for the purpose of the reduction or alternative adjustment undesirable or harmful vibrations and sound radiation. The linking of methods established in relation to reliability as well as in vibration and materials engineering with new data-driven, digital approaches that the work aims to achieve is moreover an important building block for the development and realization of intelligent lightweight structures.