Project PANTHER
The PANTHER project is concerned with the development of sustainable additives for thermoplastics used in friction applications - e.g. in bearing bushes or sliding guides. The aim is to replace the PFAS-containing substances (such as PTFE) frequently used to date with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
PFAS are considered to be persistent pollutants that can accumulate in the environment and in the human body. In the project, alternative friction-reducing additives are therefore being identified and specifically incorporated into new material formulations. Instead of a classic trial-and-error process, a systematic approach is being pursued in order to develop effective and sustainable solutions for industrial applications.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the DATIpilot program and will run from December 2024 to May 2026. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Matthias Graf at the Department of Engineering at Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences.
Dynamic 2-component seals from additive manufacturing: DFG individual funding 2021-2025
In future, it should be possible to produce replacement seals directly using 3D printing on offshore platforms or other remote locations. The aim of the project, which is funded by the German Research Foundation, is to combine two plastic parts - an elastomer and a thermoplastic - in just one production step to create usable rod seals.
Until now, both components have had to be produced, transported and assembled separately on site, which requires a high availability of spare parts. The new process is intended to make this superfluous through additive manufacturing on site.
Complex simulations are carried out in the machine dynamics laboratory for the development. The focus is on the lubricating film between the seal and rod, which is just a few micrometres thick and is calculated using coupled elastohydrodynamic simulation (EHD). This combines the non-linear elastic behavior of the seal and the Reynolds equation for the lubricating film.
The finite element models are calculated in Comsol with GPU support in order to develop optimized geometries that cannot be produced conventionally but can be realized with 3D printing. The project partners are the Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing at Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences and the German Institute for Rubber Technology (Deutsches Institut für Kautschuktechnologie e.V.).
Vibration analysis and FEM
To ensure precise measurement results for vibration-sensitive devices - such as a tribometer - we carry out comprehensive analyses to determine the natural frequencies of machine and laboratory setups. Both numerical simulation methods and experimental measurement methods are used.
By identifying critical resonance ranges, operating frequencies can be specifically selected so that disruptive vibration influences are avoided. This increases the measurement accuracy and operational reliability of sensitive test and measurement systems.
Dynamics and vibrations in brake systems
Technical brake systems are an established technology for decelerating or limiting movements in numerous machines and vehicles. The braking effect is caused by the friction between the contact partners (e.g. brake pad and brake disk) and leads to an increase in temperature. In practice, however, there are also numerous vibration phenomena in brake systems that manifest themselves as squeaking, creaking or rubbing.
The Laboratory for Machine Dynamics has the know-how and equipment to investigate such phenomena.
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