The lightweight engineering with hybrid structures offers numerous advantages compared to conventional designs. Here, function-integrating lightweight structures using multi-material design are of particular interest. By the intelligent combination of various materials, the structural characteristics can be significantly enhanced and additional functions can be implemented. For instance textile-reinforced hybrid structures combine high stiffness and strength with low weight, good damping and crash properties, a great variety of cost-effective production processes with high reproducibility as well as a good recyclability. Thus, the young group of hybrid structures is predestined for future lightweight applications within different industries.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Hybrid materials and structures, e.g. fibre- and textile-reinforced polymers, polymer-metal combinations, hybrid yarns, …,
- lightweight structures in multi-material design,
- function integration, e.g. by sensors and actuators,
- interface design and functionalization,
- design and modelling of hybrid structures,
- processing and technology development for manufacture of hybrid structures,
- characterisation and testing of hybrid structures.
