ILK Researcher Dr.-Ing. Tino Wollmann Receives the 2026 Johann-Andreas-Schubert Prize

ILK researcher Dr.-Ing. Tino Wollmann has been awarded the 2026 Johann-Andreas-Schubert Prize by SACHSENMETALL and the Johann-Andreas-Schubert Foundation. The prize is being awarded in the “Outstanding Dissertations” category for his research paper “Methods for analysing the damage-dependent vibration behaviour of rotating composite structures”.

The award ceremony took place on Monday, September 21, 2026, at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig. Among those attending the event were Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Employers’ Association President Dr. Jörg Brückner.

What is the award-winning thesis about?

Rotating components are subjected to various loads during operation. If damage occurs, their deformation and vibration behavior can also change. Tino Wollmann’s dissertation examines precisely these relationships.

The goal of the thesis was to develop various methods for analyzing the damage-dependent vibration behavior of rotating structures under operating conditions that are as close to reality as possible. The focus is on rotors made of fiber-reinforced composites.

To this end, Tino Wollmann developed analytical, numerical, and experimental methods. Among other things, he created methods for investigating deformations, vibrations, and damage. He also developed a numerical approach that can model nonlinearities caused by the opening and closing of cracks.

New methods were also developed and used for the first time in experimental investigations. These include a co-rotating system for vibration excitation. The various methods were tested and validated on different rotor geometries.

From Research to Application

This work was conducted as part of application-oriented and industry-relevant research at TU Dresden with a focus on high-performance rotors. Although the thesis focuses on fiber-reinforced composites, the methods were deliberately developed to be transferable to metallic structures as well.

An important aspect of the dissertation is its practical relevance. The methods developed are intended to contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of rotating structures under various loading and damage conditions. The findings can thus be incorporated into the design and validation of high-performance rotors.

The Johann-Andreas-Schubert Prize recognizes the scientific work of Dr.-Ing. Tino Wollmann and its relevance to current issues in industrial research.

We warmly congratulate Dr. Wollmann on receiving the 2026 Johann-Andreas-Schubert Prize and wish him every success in his future scientific and professional endeavors.