User Apps

Optimal process control in terms of throughput, product quality and energy efficiency for thermal treatments of ceramics and powder metals requires the most accurate knowledge possible of the material behavior under the influence of various process parameters. With its unique methodology, which combines precise in-situ measurements with kinetics-based FE models, the HTL can reliably determine the optimal process parameters for e.g. thermal debinding and sintering, but also for other processes such as melt infiltration, taking into account component geometry and firing stack structure. For interested users, a large part of the functionality of these models can now be offered as a user app, i.e. as independently executable software. The previously measured material data are permanently implemented in the program code; the user can vary the component geometry and most of the process parameters and thus independently optimize the process control without having to disclose confidential parameters if necessary. The level of detail of the models stored in the apps can also be created differently depending on user requirements.

Ceramics can consist of multiple phases (with pores treated as a separate phase), exhibit anisotropic crystal properties, or be influenced by grain boundaries. The achievable material properties depend significantly not only on the respective phase fractions but also to a large extent on the microstructural conditions, in particular the grain size distributions and particle arrangement. The HTL's long-established microstructure models based on the in-house development of a ceramic-specific structure generator have now been so well automated that the simulations based on them can be used for generating databases that map macroscopic material properties for a broad variation of microstructure parameters. AI algorithms can be used to access this in terms of top-down material design, which automatically determines the best-suited compositions and microstructural properties for given material requirements.This is known as top-down material design. Provided that the database has been created and sufficiently validated for a particular combination of phases, a user app can be offered for independent top-down material design for this class of material. Currently, this methodology is mainly applied in funded R&D projects such as InCoKer.