Postdoctoral Researcher – Acoustic Emission Analysis

For the Researchgroup Condition Monitoring at the Chair "Hybrid Materials" with the Professorship "Mechanical Engineering" at the University of Augsburg, we are looking for a Scientific Associate (m/f/d) - Post-Doc with a focus on Acoustic Emission Analysis.

Our research mainly involves the use of sensor data for process monitoring and structural health monitoring. An important method for this is acoustic emission analysis, which should fall under your responsibility. Your research should enable the development of new concepts for the manufacturing, approval, and monitoring of pressure vessels in the field of hydrogen driven mobility. This gives you the opportunity to contribute to achieving climate and sustainability goals. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to independently explore new research fields and topics.

If you are interested in this position, please contact us by phone or email or send your application directly to the contact persons.

Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d) – Model-based non-destructive testing of foundry cores

We are looking for a Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d) – Model-based non-destructive testing of foundry cores to join the team at the assistant Professorship Data-driven Materials processing at the University of Augsburg.

Sand cores are used in foundry technology to form non-removable geometries. In large-scale production, cores are increasingly produced with innovative inorganic substances due to lower environmentally harmful emissions. At present, however, there is still no process suitable for series production to detect and localize defects in the cores.

Your research mainly involves combining virtual models and experimental data. To this end, you will set up a test stand for non-destructive testing of the sand cores. With the help of a simulation model, the measurement data can be evaluated and defects in the core can be localized.

If you are interested in joining our team, please contact us by phone or email.

Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d) – Process monitoring for intelligent manufacturing processes

We are looking for a Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d) – Process monitoring for intelligent manufacturing processes to join the team of Mechanical Engineering in the research group Condition Monitoring at the University of Augsburg.

Your research mainly involves the use of sensor data for process monitoring of a complex production chain. The focus of your work is mainly on monitoring innovative injection molding processes. Therefore, you will use various sensor technologies for example acoustic sensors or transducers. In addition to the sensory data acquisition, you will also ensure that the data is further processed in the diagnosis and prognosis systems developed by you, including AI-based systems. Your research will not remain a theoretical concept, but will be implemented directly in the university's own research factory of the AI Production Network or within the framework of an interdisciplinary Bavarian research network. In this way, you can make your contribution to digitalization and resource efficiency in production.

If you are interested in this position, please contact us by phone or email or send your application directly to the contact persons.

Experimental Studies on Acoustic Emission Sensor Verification

This master's thesis project aims to investigate the feasibility of predicting the calibration responses of AE sensors using a simpler setup involving a Laser Doppler Vibrometer. The goal is to create a predictive model that can assess the quality of sensors based on a more accessible and cost-effective verification procedure.

More information can be found in the hyperlinked pdf:

Experimental Studies on Acoustic Emission Sensor Verification

Development and testing of sensors based on dielectric analysis for the application of non-destructive material characterization

The aim of the work is to further develop the method of dielectric analysis with regard to sensor design, measurement and evaluation in such a way that it is possible to obtain quantitative information about the material properties of the sample independently of external influences such as sample geometry or measuring distance. After a successful development, the sensor is supposed to be used in a larger measurement setup for non-destructive material characterization.

More information can be found in the hyperlinked pdf:

Development and testing of sensors based on dielectric analysis for the application of non-destructive material characterization

Development and testing of sensor technology based on active thermography for use as a non-destructive method for determining thermal material properties

The aim of the work is to further develop a novel variant of active thermography for use in determining characteristic values. This should make it possible to infer quantitative properties of the material by heating the sample locally and following the heat propagation on its surface. Numerical simulation methods can also be used for this purpose. This should make it possible to investigate thermal properties of materials non-destructively and without great effort.

More information can be found in the hyperlinked pdf:

Development and testing of sensor technology based on active thermography for use as a non-destructive method for determining thermal material properties

Development and testing of sensors based on eddy current for the application of non-destructive material characterization

The aim of the work is to further develop the method of eddy current testing with regard to sensor design, measurement and evaluation in such a way that it is possible to obtain quantitative information about the material properties of the sample independently of external influences such as sample geometry or measuring distance. After a successful development, the sensor is supposed to be used in a larger measurement setup for non-destructive material characterization.

More information can be found in the hyperlinked pdf:

Development and testing of sensors based on eddy current for the application of non-destructive material characterization

Designing and developing a smart sensor for process and condition monitoring

For real-time monitoring, which is a central topic in the working group “condition monitoring” and is already being implemented through the use of ultrasonic sensor, a smart sensor is now to be developed. For this purpose, this work aims to form a basis by enhancing a commercially available sensor of lower frequency with a microcontroller / single-board computer in such way, that it is able to collect, process and forward the data to a central computer via a suitable communication interface. The comparison of the developed sensor with a corresponding commercial system should round off the work.

More information can be found in the hyperlinked pdf:

Designing and developing a smart sensor for process and condition monitoring

Fabrication, analysis and characterization of metal-polymer filaments for FDM 3D printing

The objective is to use additive manufacturing to find a high-performance alternative to SMC coil cores in electric motors. To this end, a thermoplastic that meets the requirements must be found. This will then be used to  produce the ferrite thermoplastic filament, which will subsequently be characterized and tested for its process suitability.

More information can be found in the hyperlinked pdf:

Fabrication, analysis and characterization of metal-polymer filaments for FDM 3D printing