In cooperation with two partners (DYNAmore and Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg) HEGGEMANN will develop a process for the optimized production of sheet metal parts made from titanium alloys for the aviation industry.
The main objective of the TISTRAQ joint project is the development of a new forming process for the energy- and material-efficient production of sheet metal parts made of α+β titanium alloys with enhanced mechanical properties through process-integrated heat treatment. The projeject is funded by the German federal government in the context of the aeronatical research program and it was launched in July 2020. For the first time, the titanium alloys shall be heated very quickly and then quenched with tempered forming tools. The process-integrated heat treatment increases the potential for lightweight construction by enhancing mechanical properties and reduction of manufacturing costs for sheet-based titanium components by eliminating the need for additional heat treatment process.
The very short process time (TISTRAQ = TItanium Solution Treated & RApid Quenching) is intended to avoid the formation of an oxygen-enriched brittle edge layer (Alpha Case) as far as possible. This process route offers great potential for increasing the efficiency for the production of aviation parts. Even in these days thin-walled aluminium and tinanium structures are mostly machined from the solid.
The project provides a variety of experimental investigations. On the basis of these test results DYNAmore will develop a thermos-mechanically coupled simulation model which describes the material behaviour during the process route under consideration of the temperature- and time-dependent phase transformation kinetics. All experiments for heating, forming including the fast cooling are developed and carried out at HEGGEMANN. The characterization of the materials behaviour is done by the materials scientists in Erlangen. Dr. Thomas Meyer, Head of R&D at HEGGEMANN: "Especially in difficult times like this year we have to work intensively on future topics to remain competitive in the international aerospace market with continuous innovations. With the approval of this aerospace research project we can implement our ideas together with our partners and so we are able to expand our know-how in the production of metallic lightweight structures".
The partner in the joint poject are:
HEGGEMANN AG:
founded in 1962, HEGGEMANN has established itself as an internationally recognized specialist for the development and production of complex metallic lightweight structures in the aerospace industry. According to the company's motto "360° - from Engineering to Production" 230 employees realize the complete value-added chain for customers, from the development and series production to the production of ready-to-install structures and systems. The owner-managed company at the Paderborn-Lippstadt airport is characterized in particular by Production & Quality Engineering for the continuously optimized manufacturing processes and steadily innovation.
FAU: The Institute of General Material Properties (WW1) of the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlan-gen-Nürnberg has been engaged in research on the microstructure-property correlation of materials and the associated damage mechanisms for many decades. One focus is on light metal materials, especially titanium alloys.
DYNAmore Material Competence Center (MCC):
As a software and development service provider, DYNAmore offers a product portfolio that covers the entire finite element suite LS-DYNA as well as numerous FE models for crash simulation. A special focus of the DYNAmore Material Competence Center (MCC) is on the development of material models (metals, plastic and composite materials) and the development of methods for generating the necessary material data.
