The study promotion prize donated by the Association of German Tool and Mould Makers has been awarded for the sixth time to graduates of the Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. 'Young talents not only advance our industry with their work but also help to raise its significance in the public consciousness – we honor this with the VDWF Promotion Prize. At the same time, we strengthen the visibility of research and innovation,' explained Prof. Thomas Seul, Vice President for Research and Transfer of the university and President of the association.
Between Computed Tomography and Rheological Effects
This time, the prize of 2000 euros is shared by two awardees. Dominik Leuwer completed the master's program in Mechanical Engineering and Management in part-time study in 2024. His thesis on the topic 'Measurement System Analysis for Computed Tomography for the Geometric Determination of Plastic Components' was graded 1.0. Prof. Stefan Roth, who supervised the work, praised the careful and very comprehensible preparation of the results and highlighted the significance of the work: 'Dominik Leuwer identified the essential influencing parameters of the measurement process, based on which the optimal settings for measurement can be chosen.'
The insights gained regarding the measurement capability of computed tomography form the basis for accurate and efficient geometric capture of plastic molded parts.'
The topic of the second awardee Frank Eberhardt's work was 'Investigation of Rheological Effects in the Sprue Area of the Soft Component in Thermoplastic Multi-Component Injection Molding.' With the motivation to reduce costs and increase productivity, he dealt with the challenges of manufacturing multi-component parts using practical test specimens and also compared the results of simulations with those from the real injection molding process.
Dr. Marco Müller, supervisor of the master's thesis graded 1.3, highlighted in his report, among other things, the professionally sound evaluation of the conducted experiments. 'Various measurement methods were used for data collection, and corresponding limits of the simulations could be demonstrated.'
Ceremonial award ceremony at the New Year's reception
The award ceremony took place again as part of the traditional New Year's reception of the Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. The event began with welcoming words from University President Prof. Gundolf Baier and Mayor Thomas Kaminski to the invited guests from politics, business, science, and culture. Dean Ralf Gebauer highlighted the topic of 'Transformation' in his festive speech. The laudation for the awardees was given by Claudia Michel from the Schmalkalden VDWF team. She then handed the stage over to Prof. Thomas Seul for the official presentation of the award to Dominik Leuwer. Frank Eberhardt, who could not attend the award ceremony, thanked in a video message. With plenty of opportunities for networking and culinary support, the event concluded successfully in the university foyer.
Contact:
www.vdwf.de
