Piezoelectric Driven Testing Facilities to Research the Very High Cycle Fatigue Regime^*

Extended Version of the Contribution to VHCF 5

Dipl.-Ing. Christian Fischer, born in 1982, studied structural durability and welding techniques at Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, and graduated 2010. After graduating he joined the Institute of System Reliability and Machine Acoustics of the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and presently investigates the influence of testing frequency on cyclic material behaviour of aluminium alloys in the very high cycle fatigue regime as a part of the priority program 1466 “life infinity” of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Dr.-Ing. Rainer Wagener, born 1975, studied General Mechanical Engineering at Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, where he presented his doctoral thesis on the cyclic material behaviour under constant and variable amplitude loading in 2007. He worked for one year with a German automotive supplier in component fatigue testing using road load data. In 2008 he joined the Fraunhofer LBF in Darmstadt, Germany, where he is the group manager of “Component-Related Material Behaviour” since 2012.

Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Friedmann, born in 1978, finished his studies at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, in 2004 with the diploma degree in mechanical engineering. Since then, he is working at Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, Darmstadt, Germany. From 2008 to 2012 he was team leader of the experimental analysis and simulation in the Department of Mechatronics/Adaptronics. By now he is responsible for the development of structural health monitoring in the Department of Reliability and System Integration.

Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Axt, born in 1980, studied mechanical and process engineering at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. He started his career at the Fraunhofer Institute Laboratory of Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF in 2007. Two years later he changed to the spin-off of this institute called ISYS Adaptive Solutions GmbH and is now working there as vice product development manager.

Dipl.-Ing. Michael Matthias, born 1969, studied material sciences at the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrück, Germany. After graduating in 1994 he worked as research assistant at the German Aerospace Center DLR in Braunschweig. In 2001 he joined the Fraunhofer LBF and became deputy head of the Department of Mechatronics/Adaptronics in 2003. Since 2012 he is head of Department Actuators and Sensors in the Fraunhofer LBF.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tobias Melz, born 1968, is heading the division of Smart Structures at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF. He is also professor for adaptronic systems within the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and is director of the Fraunhofer Alliance of Adaptronics. In 2012 Prof. Melz was appointed as division director of smart structures with currently four R&D departments in lightweight design, smart actuators, vibration control and signal conditioning.

Dr.-Ing. Heinz Kaufmann, born in 1960, studied mechanical engineering at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and graduated in 1985. In 1998 he presented his doctoral thesis on “The Dimensioning of Cyclically-Loaded Thick-Walled Components of Cast Ductile Iron GGG-40 Considering Microstructural Degenerations from Casting” at Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany. He joined the Fraunhofer LBF in 1986 and was head of the competence centre ‘Component-Related Material Behaviour’ from 2003 to 2011. Since 2012 he is head of the department ‘Materials and Components’.