Materials Technology, Ghent and Aalst Technology Campuses

The activities of the research unit Mechanics of Materials, Products and Processes (MeM2P) at Campus Gent are aimed at gaining a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of materials in industrial applications. This is done by devising new experimental methods based on optical techniques, especially DIC (using own developed code) on the one hand and new numerical techniques that facilitate the identification of this behavior (using FEMU and VFM) on the other hand. At the same time, we focus on industry-relevant applications with a special interest in connections (bolted, welded, clinched and riveted) made of new high strength steels. Our expertise can be summarized as follows:

• Advanced finite element methods with focus on non-linear material models 
• Optical strain measurement techniques with focus on “Digital Image Correlation”
• Development of numerical inverse methods for the identification of material parameters
• Experimental mechanics with a focus on destructive testing, design of new testing devices and specimens
• Fatigue of metals and its connections
• Joining techniques: selection, production, optimization and mechanical behavior
• High strength steels and metals with high specific strength