Welcome to Lightweight Engineering
Within the scope of the Excellence Initiative and in cooperation with KIT and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Lightweight Engineering was founded at the Institute of Vehicle Systems Technology on January 1, 2009.
The focus of our research activities is on technologies for reducing the weight of vehicles. In this respect, lightweight construction is positioned as a cross-sectional topic and offers an interdisciplinary approach to reducing vehicle mass. Lightweight with fiber-reinforced polymers and hybrid material systems is the main focus of research at the institute. In addition to new lightweight technologies, simulation and design methods are developed to virtually optimize product development processes. Research in the field of lightweight technology is closely linked to the Polymer Engineering Department of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal and the KIT Institute for Applied Materials, Materials Science KIT-IAM-WK.
If you are interested in the wide-ranging field of lightweight with its various forms of methods (simulation, design), materials (resins, fiber reinforcements, joining elements, hybrids) and technologies for production and integration of lightweight components, then we look forward to welcoming you at our institute.
To develop large-scale, lightweight and high-performance fibre composites and hybrid components, it is essential to combine competencies from the fields of methods, materials and production. Our institute develops simulation methods and integrated virtual process chains to describe the manufacturing process of fibre reinforced composites.
more
Can my component be manufactured? We develop simulation methods for complex fibre composite manufacturing processes to ensure manufacturability even before expensive tools are produced. In addition, we use the results of such process simulations in a continuous CAE chain for subsequent structural simulations.
more
Will my component hold? We perform structural analyses for discontinuously and continuously reinforced components as well as hybrid material composites using cross-scale methods. We investigate anisotropic damage, damping behavior and the influence of manufacturing effects.
more
Every component is only as good as its semi-finished product and so is every simulation only as good as its input. We do research how we can interconnect individual simulations to form a continuous virtual process chain and then optimise component and process holistically, e.g. with the help of AI.
moreAlle näheren Informationen zu den Vorlesungen des Institutsteil Leichtbau finden Sie hier:
Zu den LehrveranstaltungenDer Termin für die Prüfungen Leichtbau I und Leichtbau II steht fest. Alle weiteren wichtigen Informationen finden Sie unter:
Studium und LehreLässt sich ein Bauteil mit der gewählten Geometrie wirklich herstellen? Antworten darauf liefern präzise Simulationen, die jedoch zeitintensiv sind. Beschleunigung soll ein neues Programm bieten, welches am Institut für Fahrzeugsystemtechnik am KIT derzeit entwickelt wird: Die Wissenschaftler kombinieren die Prozesssimulationen mit maschinellem Lernen und KI, sodass der Algorithmus Muster erkennen und schnell abschätzen kann, ob die Herstellung des Bauteils klappen wird. Das spart Kosten bei der Entwicklung und Herstellung.
Zur PressemitteilungAlle näheren Informationen zu den Vorlesungen vom Institutsteil Leichtbau finden Sie unter:
Studium und LehreDas BMBF Projekt SMiLE wird sich am 15./16.06.2015 im Rahmen der Nationalen Konferenz der Bundesregierung zum Thema "Elektromobilität: Stark in den Martkt" als Leuchtturmprojekt präsentieren.
Infos zur Konferenz Elektromobilität
Zur Projektseite: SMiLE