Chris Liebold
Dr. Klaus Schricker, research fellow in the Production Technology Group of the TU Ilmenau, has been awarded the Henry Granjon Prize. The most important prize for young scientists in the field of joining technology is awarded annually by the International Institute of Welding (IIW) in four categories. Dr. Schricker was awarded for his contribution "Effect of Thermoplastic Morphology on Mechanical Properties in Laser-Assisted Joining of Polyamide 6 with Aluminum" in the category "Materials Behaviour and Weldability".
In his contribution, Dr. Schricker examines the interaction of process management, material behavior and the resulting mechanical properties for laser-based joining of plastic-metal composites. The investigated process allows a direct joining of plastics with metals without the use of adhesives or mechanical joining elements. The technology therefore offers great potential for the industrial production of hybrid material combinations of plastic and metal, which is becoming increasingly important due to lightweight construction, the growing demand for resource-efficient production processes and the possibility of recycling.
Dr. Schricker carried out the investigations as part of his dissertation "Characterization of the joining zone of laser-based hybrid composites of semi-crystalline thermoplastics and metals" at the Production Technology group under the supervision of the head of Production Technology, Professor Dr. Jean Pierre Bergmann: "The awarding of the prize illustrates the importance of the work of Klaus Schricker and the TU Ilmenau in this field. By developing the process from the fundamentals to application-relevant issues, Dr. Schricker is making a significant contribution to the industrial use of the process," says Prof. Bergmann.
The Production Technology Group at the TU Ilmenau has been active in research and teaching for more than 60 years. During this time, the group's scientists have actively helped shape the change in production. Today, the group focuses on pressure welding, laser material processing, arc technology, additive manufacturing and machining. The research focus is on material and process related investigations of metals, metallic compounds, hybrid components and plastics.