2008-06-05
The European Initial Training Network MAMINA

Macro, Micro and Nano Aspects of Machining

offers

6 three-year PhD-projects and 4 one-year projects

The use of titanium, nickel-base, and cobalt-base alloys is necessary for the production of turbines parts and other components in the aerospace and the power generation industry due to their high strength even in the high temperature regime. On the other hand, these materials are known as the most difficult-to-machine metallic materials and so far, only small progress has been made to improve their machinability. During the production of turbine components up to 50% of the manufacturing costs can be related to machining. Hence, the reduction of the production costs by the optimization of the cutting process is mandatory for European manufacturers to remain internationally competitive.

The MAMINA project will therefore combine the work of nineteen European universities, research institutions and industrial companies to analyse and improve the machinability of three selected alloys that are widely used in industry. As the chip formation is one of the key factors influencing the machinability of these materials, this process will be studied in detail in a multidisciplinary approach in experiments and computer simulations from the nano to the macroscopic scale. In a second step, different approaches will be made to improve the cutting process of the investigated alloys, namely (1) the introduction of enhanced manufacturing techniques, (2) the production of progressive tools with extended endurance, and (3) the development of free-machining alloys by the use of permanent and temporary alloying elements. The results will be transferred to applications by the industrial partners of the consortium.

The MAMINA network currently offers 10 positions, with project duration up to three years for early stage researchers (being still within the first four years of their scientific career) from the fields of theoretical physics, material science, chemistry and mechanical engineering. Please visit the MAMINA webpage www.mamina.eu for more information and a detailed description of the individual projects. If you have further questions, please contact the coordinator of the MAMINA project.

Interested candidates are asked to submit their application online via the web interface on the MAMINA webpage before July 20th 2008.

Contact person:

Joachim Roesler
TU Braunschweig Institut fur Werkstoffe
Langer Kamp 8
D-38106 Braunschweig

Phone: 0531/391-3061
Fax: 0531/391-3058
e-mail: j.roesler@tu-bs.de


MJ