The ILK team is growing: New staff members

The corona pandemic is not stopping the positive development of the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) at TU Dresden. In 2021, the ILK team will grow by ten new scientific employees, one technician and three employees for cross-sectional topics.

The expert group Special Materials and Special Processes is pleased to have the additional technical support of Mr Patrick Stumpler since April 202, and since July 2021, Ms Dipl.-Ing Romy Peters has strengthened the scientific team. Ms Peters' research focus is on carbon fibres at the RCCF, especially from renewable raw materials.

The expert group Joining Technologies welcomed four new members: Ms Dipl.-Ing. Zhenbi Wang joined the ILK in November 2021 as a research fellow (for details on the Research Training Group 2430 “Interactive Fiber Rubber Composites”, see here) and is conducting research on the methodical development of active multi-matrix composite components (for details, see here). Mr Dipl.-Ing. Tim Bätzel has been at the ILK since January 2021, and his current area of responsibility includes energy storage and drive technology for electromobility on the one hand and the numerical and experimental treatment of highly dynamic impact events in aviation on the other hand, both in the context of structural health monitoring. Mr Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Hildebrand has been working on the simultaneous characterisation of mechanical and electrical properties of fibre and yarn materials and on the investigation of lightweight structures with adaptive dynamic behaviour through minimal shape change since his appointment in June 2021. Mr Dipl.-Ing. Yun Xu, employed since September 2021, works on the development of foreign object detection sensors for wireless charging systems.

Furthermore, two scientific staff members have enriched the expert group Computational Methods and Simulation: Mr Dipl.-Ing. Lars Muschalski is an ILK graduate in the lightweight engineering programme and had already worked as a research assistant at the institute for some time, which was followed by his appointment as a research associate in November 2021. Mr Dipl.-Ing. Max Vater has been employed as a research associate in cooperation with the Chair of Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy (WKET) and the ILK since February 2021, and in May 2021, he was accepted as an associate member of the Boysen-TU Dresden Graduate College, too (for a report on this, see here). His work brings together the respective expertise and aims to develop a system that further reduces the explosion risks posed by hydrogen tanks with the help of a safety container made of lightweight materials.

The expert group Test Methods and Material Models Division welcomed Mr Dipl.-Ing. Felix Wiebicke to its scientific staff as of March 2021. His current tasks primarily involve the development of test methods and test rigs for the investigation of lightweight transport boxes and the investigation of the damage behaviour of fibre-reinforced plastic composites on the microscopic scale.

At the end of the year, the team was again expanded twice. Firstly, Mr Dipl.-Ing. Jonas Kluger has joined the expert group Lightweight Design as a research associate in December 2021. His current research activities follow up his final thesis at the ILK on the optimisation of variable-axially reinforced fibre composite engine guide vanes, by encompassing the continuing development of structural guide vanes for intermediate engine casings on the one hand and of fibre composite compressor impellers on the other. Secondly, Mr Dipl.-Ing. Levin Schilling, this year's WAK-prize winner (see here), was incorporated in the expert group Neutral Lightweight Engineering as a research associate in December, following his successful graduation at the ILK. His research focuses on the realisation of sustainable lightweight products through the targeted use of materials, technologies and methods.

Finally, the ILK is pleased about the expansion of the Communication and Internationalisation Department and welcomes Ms Dr. rer. nat. Daryna Dechyeva as employee for internationalisation, Ms ipl-Inf. (BA) Daniella Modler as employee for communication and Ms M.A. Radka Tomečková as employee for public relations.