MaSTeR Lab

Autoclave

Location

This laboratory is dedicated to the study of material behaviour, aerospace and mechanical structures, measurements and processing technologies. The materials of reference are both polymer matrix composites and metallic materials, with particular reference to light and ultra-light alloys.

Metallography Lab

Resources

The laboratory has equipment for the production, processing, characterisation and simulation of components made of metallic and composite materials. Indeed, expertise is available for the study of components produced for the aeronautical, industrial, mechanical, nautical and transport sectors.

Mechanical tests

The following equipment is available in the laboratory:
• Italsigma 100kN oleodynamic press for carrying out static and fatigue tensile, compression, bending tests. Equipment for other types of tests is produced on request.
• Optical microscopy laboratory: truncation systems, hot and cold embedding, polishing, and analysis with a Nikon optiphot-100 microscope in bright field and polarised light.
• Italsigma 2 TM 831 rotating bending test machine
• CNC milling machine
• Systems for extensometric applications and readings

Processing and characterisation of materials (metallic and non-metallic):
• Static and cyclic tensile tests
• Rotating bending tests
• Hardness and microhardness
• Friction Welding, Friction Stir Welding tests
• Non-destructive testing (penetrating liquids, ultrasound)

Simulation:
• Structural simulation: Ansys, Femap, Abaqus;
• ESI software packages: PAM-FORM, PAM-RTM, SYSPLY.
• Process simulation codes Altair, Deform, QForm packages

Production and characterisation of composite materials:
• Italmatic autoclave (diameter 1 m by 3 m in length, maximum temperature 180°C, maximum pressure 10 bar).
• Metaltig autoclave (diameter 0.8 m by 1 m in length, maximum temperature 250°C, maximum pressure 15 bar).
• Clean room for preparing composite materials for autoclaving.
• System for resin infusion
• Systems for cutting and processing composite materials
• Imperium AcoustoCam ultrasound C-scan

Educational activities

The laboratory is used for internships and thesis projects in the disciplines of Aerospace Constructions and Structures (ING-IND04), Mechanical and Thermal Measurements (ING-IND12), Mechanical Design and Machine Construction (ING-IND14) and Machining Technologies and Systems (ING-IND16).