Research areas in the subject Solid Mechanics

This scientific area includes the study of transient mechanical processes in which both inertia and rate dependent material properties must be considered. Our interest is primarily directed towards modelling of rate dependent materials. At both deliberate (forming) and accidental (collisions) loading of material and components, deformation rates can become large and therefore rate dependent material models have to be used in simulation of such processes.

The thermo-mechanical forming research within Solid Mechanics at Luleå University of Technology is focused on phenomena connected to the mechanics of the material forming process and the resulting material properties. The aim is to predict the material and process response during the complete process as well as the final material state and properties of the component. The tools are numerical methods, e.g. finite element methods, for large deformation mechanical deformation analyses, including thermo-mechanical coupling as well as modelling of friction and heat transfer in contact interfaces. Achievements made in the research are based on long term industrial collaborations and the focus on industrial manufacturing processes and the resulting component properties.

The scientific objective for all powder and particle projects are to contribute to the understanding the physical phenomena involved during the actual process. This is achieved by development of experimental characterization methods, establishment of material models and numerically performing parametric studies of the process. We are using the finite element method (FEM) and the smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) method in most of our applications.