On the afternoon of Monday, September 23rd, three members of our InterBridge project (Karolína, Honza, and Lukáš), along with four students from the High School of art Liberec and their teacher, visited the Technical University of Chemnitz (TUC), specifically the Institute of Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology. They had the opportunity to become more familiar with the work of our German project partners - the research group for Textile Plastic Composites and Hybrid Compounds, led by Professor Daisy Nestler.
TUC is among the world leaders in lightweight construction research, largely due to its long-standing work on projects like the MERGE program, which combines various materials and technologies to develop multifunctional lightweight structures. Professor Daisy Nestler's research group has long been dedicated to the development of hybrid materials, which combine the properties of textiles, plastics, and metals. Their recent successes include the development of ceramics with integrated sensor properties for high-temperature applications, such as components used in the aerospace and automotive industries. This research builds on the international CENTAUR project, which focuses on the development of functional materials for these sectors, and in which our Department of Advanced Materials has also participated.
Our group was warmly welcomed and guided throughout the laboratories by Johannes Winhard from Professor Nestler's research team, who primarily focuses on the optical analysis of hybrid materials and composites. His detailed explanation of the application of modern technologies in the field of textile and plastic composites captured the attention of all members of our delegation. Johannes demonstrated how advanced materials are handled in the TUC laboratories and led our group through several testing stations where strength and durability tests on materials are routinely conducted. This was a new experience especially for the students from the Kunstgewerbliche Mittelschule, who had the opportunity to get a closer look at the equipment and techniques used in these tests, including modern tensile testing machines.
The visit to TUC was not only inspiring for my colleagues from TUL but also very beneficial for the group representing the Kunstgewerbliche Mittelschule Liberec. After the visit, while looking through the photos, Karolína shared her impressions and said:"I was very impressed. I think the materials and lightweight structures they are developing there have really great potential. It was like looking into the future."
We would like to thank Johannes for the wonderful afternoon, which provided our group with many new insights and information about the research conducted by our German project partner.
Hana Křížová
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