The capability of materials used in mechanical applications to withstand different service conditions is an essential requirement for safety and functionality. Furthermore, improving mechanical performance allows for reduced material usage, resulting in weight and cost savings. In related activities, various testing equipment is employed, including mechanical testing machines and non-destructive techniques (such as electrical and optical deformation measurements, thermography). Additionally, analysis and modelling tools are used. Research topics in this field include:
- Design of Experiments (DOE) and statistical analysis of experimental results;
- experimental assessment of fatigue behaviour in metallic materials under high-cycle fatigue (HCF) and very high-cycle fatigue (VHCF) conditions, including the construction of corresponding SN curves;
- evaluation of materials' behaviour at high deformation rates and elevated temperatures, including numerical simulation of ballistic impact and explosion scenarios;
- assessment of materials' behaviour in the plastic range, including numerical simulation of thermo-mechanical phenomena;
- theoretical and numerical modelling of mechanical components and adhesive joints;
- theoretical and numerical modelling of welded joints;
- numerical modelling of advanced materials' behaviour (composites, piezoelectrics, trabecular structures, functionally graded materials) using sophisticated multi-field and multi-physics finite element formulations (CUF);
- multi-physics modelling of multifunctional components with self-diagnostic properties and integrated sensing (e.g., e-textiles and smart fabrics).
DIMEAS Groups involved
- Mechanics of Materials and Joints: Models, Fatigue, Impact, and Testing
- Design and Experimentation of Transmission Elements, Thermography, and Damping Materials
- MUL2 (Multilayered Structures and Multifield Analyses)
- Smart Structures and Systems