Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)

At Fraunhofer-Center HTL, significant modules for integrated computational materials engineering are already available (Publication: Integrated Computational Ceramics Engineering). Multiscale simulation concepts are available for all three of the relationships stated above. To the question of how the manufacturing process influences the structure (relationship 1), models on different scales are used. On the microscale, for example, the microstructure development during sintering is simulated as a function of the process parameters, e.g. the temperature-time curve, and the resulting conditions for the greatest possible homogeneity of the ceramic are derived (Publications: Modeling Inherently Homogeneous Sintering Processes; Simulation of Sintering). On the macro scale, FE models for debinding and sintering are available which are strictly based on precise in-situ measurement data from the heating process. With these models, the respective thermal process is optimized on the computer in such a way that the components achieve the desired final shape and density - reliably and crack-free with minimum time and energy requirement. For relationship 2, there is a microstructure property simulation (Publication: 3D Modelling of Ceramic Composites) available specially developed for ceramics, which has been extended in the meantime for the forecast of the material properties of ceramic fibre composite materials (CMC). For relationship 3, the computer-aided evaluation of application properties, the measured structures of surface or volume defects are evaluated at Fraunhofer-Center HTL aided by FE analyses with regard to their effects on the failure probability.

Integration of multiscale simulation, systematic evaluation of databases, experimental procedures and - if required - other methods according to the ICME concept offer the possibility of successful completion of material developments more rapidly and more purposefully than with the classical approach. But even with coordinated use of just a few components of the ICME concept, ICME tasks for material design and component design makes the process significantly more efficient. Fraunhofer-Center HTL therefore offers a correspondingly adapted variant of ICME for customized development of new products.