Innovative Materials for Mechanical Engineering, Research on the Applicability of UHPC as an Machine Frame Material (Part 1 Identification of the Essential Mechanism of the Humid depending Characteristics)

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Horst-Michael Ludwig; Dr.-Ing. Thomas Stehle
• Subject Area: Construction Material Sciences, Chemistry, Building Physics ; Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development ; Production Automation and Assembly Technology
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 384827052

In recent times, research has been increasingly conducted on alternate materials for machine frame components, traditionally made from steel or polymer concrete. Environmental as well as economic aspects are becoming more important in construction design and -development. Hence, this research project is focused on an overall investigation of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) as machine frame material. UHPC is a further development of traditionally concrete. UHPC, compared to conventional concrete, has significant higher strength parameters, a more dense structure and a substantial improved durability. Isolated fields of application in machines for wood and composites machining already benefit from UHPC in machine frames. It is intended to expand the field of application to machine tools for metal machining, even if coolants are used.To the time, there are only a few construction guidelines and the most of them come from polymer concrete. Hence, an aim is to make basic research on calculating UHPC machine frames. The calculations will be verified on different UHPC to afford a realistic structural design of machine frame components. An additional aim is the optimization of concrete design with respect to application in mechanical engineering and also the differences in bending tensile strength under different moisture conditions. Further values to investigate are the deformation values, surface accuracy, the chemical durability after contact with process fluids and also the shrinkage behavior.The first part of the project restrict only the aspect of the influence of operating fluids to UHPC. The focus lies in the interaction between UHPC with water and other for machine tools typical operating fluids like cooling lubricants and the equivalent changing of the mechanical characteristics.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants