by Farabi Nishi
Revolutionizing Lightweight Impact Structures: Selmatec develops a new system for metal foams
At Selmatec, we recognize the pressing need to enhance efficiency, and developing lightweight construction is the key to innovate in this area. In our constant effort to contribute to progress, we will be supporting an interdisciplinary project dedicated to researching lightweight materials for crash absorption, protective systems and electromobility.
The project involves the participation of Helmut Schmidt University/ University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Fichtner & Schmidt GmbH, Saarland University and Josef Gartner GmbH. Our team will be focusing on metal foam, developing a system to monitor material quality, as well as the safe installation of fastening options.
At present, industries are increasingly demanding lightweighting strategies, with the metal foam market is expected to grow to USD 133 billion by 2030 (Source), but reducing weight is not the only driving reason. Lightweighting strategies are also used to increase structural resistance, energy absorption and, naturally, reduce material use at the same time. For example, nickel-polyurethane hybrid metal foams (Ni/PU-HS) are very suitable as a lightweight construction material due to their high stiffness-to-density ratio.
Thanks to a special deformation mechanism under compressive load, the pores within materials like Ni/PU-HS collapse in layers under constant tension over a large deformation range, thus making it extremely useful for applications that are relevant for both customer safety and manufacturing
For example, in the automotive industry, metal foam is an excellent material to reduce damage in car crashes; in the energy industry, it is used for pipe brackets during fuel distillation to reduce dangerous vibrations.
Other applications include:
- Damping
- Sound absorption
- Electromagnetic shielding and catalysis
At Selmatec, we are very excited to contribute to the development of this research project, which will greatly improve industrial progress and customer satisfaction in the near future. Stay tuned for more updates!
Pictures provided by: Helmut Schmidt University/ University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg - Professorship for Protection Systems