Advanced Materials Characterization and Non-Destructive Testing (M.Sc.)

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

This module combines important subject areas that make it easier for students to arrive in their new environment, bring them together and at the same time give them an insight into new cultures.
 

German class - part 1
 

Based on existing language skills, the respective language level is determined with a short test at the beginning. Building on this, students learn the most important vocabulary and phrases to enable them to cope with everyday life. At the same time, students are also familiarized with German culture.
 

German class - part 2

This part of the language course focuses on language and professional work. The preparation of application documents plays a major role here. Students also learn how to conduct job interviews and simulate interviews with companies.
 

Cultural and team competencies

This course helps students to get to know and understand their fellow students and their cultures of origin better. At the same time, students learn about team composition and the different roles in a team and their advantages and strengths. By solving creative tasks, students practice these roles and acquire important skills for leading teams in their future careers.

Sustainability project

After an intensive workshop in which the students receive the most important knowledge on the topic of sustainability, they work on a project of their own choice in which they put the theory they have learnt into practice and write it up.

Dr. Michael Beithe

Scientific Working - Part 1

This part serves to bring all students to a common level on the topic of ‘scientific working’. Students have knowledge of
- Purpose and Principles of Scientific Work
- Planning, Developing and Managing a thesis
- Developing a Topic, Cooperation with the supervisor
- Working with Literature/ Sources
- Writing a scientific Paper or Thesis
- Defense of the Thesis
 

Scientific Working - part 2

This part serves to develop overarching competences in preparation for the master's thesis by deepening students' scientific working and writing skills in a targeted manner. Students are able to
- derive and formulate research questions, cite correctly and write an abstract independently.
- conduct literature research and collect research-relevant data.
- apply the basic scientific rules that must be observed when writing the master's thesis in a targeted manner - considering their knowledge from the previous modules

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

The micro- and meso-structures of metallic, polymer and composite materials are explained, and the related properties are described. The course delivers a general understanding of metallic, polymeric, and ceramic materials.

• Metallic Materials
• Polymer Materials
• Polymer Composites

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

• Metallography - Fundamentals
• Metallography - Practical Training

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

Mechanical Testing – Fundamentals:
- Hardness testing (Vickers, Brinell, Rockwell)
- Tensile testing
- Fatigue testing
- Creep testing
- Crack propagation testing
- Role of processing on mechanical properties
- Effect of defects on mechanical properties
- Effect of surface quality on mechanical properties
- Effect of heat treatment on mechanical properties
 

Mechanical Testing – Practical Training:
- Hardness measurement
- Tensile testing of metals, ceramics, polymers
- Property-microstructure dependency

Prof. Dr. Frank Walther

Physical and chemical Measurement Methods

The module covers the physical basics of measurement technologies, techniques and instruments, and the principles of their operation and application. After the fundamental principles are taught, students will engage in hands-on experiments, developing complete measurement chains, including hardware and software, to reinforce their understanding through practical application. Besides, the module deals with the statistical treatments of measuring results, measuring error, error propagation and reliability.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

Microscopy, Spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction - Fundamentals
- Infrared and thermal testing
- radiometric basics, photometric basics, infrared radiation detectors,
- pyrometer, thermography
- NDT applications
 

Microscopy, Spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction - Practical Training Microscopy:
- High resolution NDE methods based on acoustic and X-ray methods (ultrasonic microscopy, X-ray microscopy).
- Optical microscopy Abbe limit, nearfield optical microscopy, micro and nano- Raman microscopy.
- Electro-microoptical and analytical methods (SEM, TEM, micro probe, focused ion beam technique, scanning probe techniques (tunnelling microcopy, AFM, AFAM, MFM and derivatives)

Lecturing in the morning followed by tutorials and lab classes in the afternoon; a sufficient period of self-study (around two weeks net) with possible consultancy by the lecturer will be given as a means for preparation for the written exam.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

The module covers an overview of the different Non-destructive Testing (NDT) techniques being applied and gives an insight into standardization and certification as well as quality management. The student will understand the fundamentals of the different NDT techniques considered and the role of and need for standardization, certification and quality management processes being involved in NDT as well as the quality management process in general.

• Introduction to Non-destructive Testing (NDT)
• Introduction Quality Management

Lukasz Abroozinski, PhD Eng.

The scope of the lectures is to impart complex knowledge about Non Destructive Testing (NDT) of construction elements and materials with the aid of acoustic methods. This also includes to learn, understand and apply advanced methods in ultrasonic testing with special emphasis on phased array and imaging techniques.
The lecture contents include ultrasonic excitation, wave propagation in solids, beam focusing and directional intromission of ultrasound and deals with typical principles of ultrasonic transducers and measurement methods. It further includes phased array monitoring techniques including sampling phased array, air coupled ultrasonics, laser ultrasonics, guided waves and various methods of sensor signal imaging.
The students are taught to select appropriate measurement methods for practical inspection tasks and design, modify and test adequate measurement set-ups.

• Fundamentals of Acoustic methods & ultrasound
• Phased array and Imaging

Dr. Wolfgang Habel

The module is targeted at the fundamentals of optics and optoelectronics from a theoretical, numerical and experimental point of view. A major focus will be onapplications in opto-electronic and optical measurement technologies. The hardware aspects will also be of significance. Students will be able to understand optoelectronic and new optical methodologies to a level that they are ready to use it along their daily work.

Dr. Uwe Ewert

This module imparts the physical properties of several kinds of radiation and shows the relevant possibilities for materials characterization and testing of components. This includes typical methods, testing systems and practical applications. Students will be able to understand radiology to a level that they are ready to use it along their daily work.
 

The module consists of lectures covering the following:

• Radiology - Fundamentals
• Tomography & Imaging
• Tomography / Imaging - Practical Training

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

The module covers the physical and electrical engineering basics of magnetic, electro- magnetic, eddy current and microwave magnetic test methods, including hardware and applications. Structure and mode of action of the different micro-magnetic test systems and their application are covered. After participating in this module, students will be in the position to understand the possible applications of electromagnetic test methods and use those for flaw detection and material characterization.

• Electrotechnical Fundamentals
• Eddy Current & Microwaves

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

The course is completed with the preparation of a master's thesis and a subsequent colloquium. With the master's thesis, students should demonstrate their ability to independently work on a topic of their choice within a specified period of time and in compliance with scientific principles, based on the specialist knowledge and methodological skills acquired in the previous modules. In close coordination with the supervisor, the topic is developed by the student in the form of an exposé for registration with the examination board.

In the colloquium, the students have to prove that they are able to present a complex topic in a short time and to defend their arguments against criticism.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

Completion of a concrete task within a professional environment.
Discussion of strategy development.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Leyens

A module analysis for the teaching content within modules M1 to M6 of the study.

A comprehensive self-study regarding the specific content of a module, their distinctions, and their relation to one another.