Chair of Mechanics of Materials and Failure Analysis

Important topics at a glance

Foto von Frau Professorin Martina Zimmermann vor dem Hintergrund einer virtuellen Stadtlandschaft

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martina Zimmermann is the head of the Chair of Mechanics of Materials and Failure Analysis. She joined the TU Dresden in 2012, at the same time as becoming the head of the Department of Materials Characterisation and Testing at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS).

Das Foto zeigt einen Laptop mit schwarzem Bildschirm, rechts daneben ein geöffnetes, leeres Notizbuch und einen daraufliegenden Stift auf einer hölzernen Oberfläche.

Degree programmes

The courses and lectures offered by the department provide an insight into the relationships between material structure and component properties from a range of different angles with an emphasis on metallic construction materials. The department’s lectures address the subjects of material fatigue, material reliability and structured failure analysis.

Das Foto zeigt hinter einer großen Fensterscheibe fünf Personen in weißen Laborkitteln. Vier Personen sitzen nebeneinander an Arbeitsplätzen mit dem Rücken zur Kamera. Eine Person im Vordergrund sitzt seitlich zur Kamera an einem langen Tisch.

Research

The department’s research centres on structure-property correlations and ranges from classic steel materials, to high-temperature materials, joined structures, composites and modern biomaterials. The department also specialises in researching the vibration resistance of materials and components beyond the classic assessment thresholds and in investigating underlying damage mechanisms.

Chair of Mechanics of Materials and Failure Analysis

The Chair’s research is predominantly centred on identifying the structure-property correlations of construction materials and components. Research and teaching focus both on examining materials’ structures, the effects of production processes and the effects of load situations under operating conditions. One of the central topics under investigation by the Chair is the experimental and simulation-based study of the mechanisms underlying material fatigue.