New software platform advances understanding of the surface finish of manufactured components
Summary
The contact.engineering platform enables users to create a digital twin of a surface and thus to help predict, for example, how quickly it wears out, how well it conducts heat, or how well it adheres to other materials. "It is of particular interest, in both industrial applications and scientific research, to have precise knowledge of a surfaces topography, as this influences properties like the adhesion, friction, wettability, and durability of the material," says Pastewka. Manufacturers must carefully control the surface finish of, for example, automobiles or medical devices to ensure proper performance of the final application. At present, the optimal surface finish is found primarily by a trial-and-error process, where a series of components are made with different machining practices and then their properties are tested to determine which is best. The development of contact.engineering was funded from the European Research Council and the US National Science Foundation, as well as from the University of Freiburgs Cluster of Excellence Living, Adaptive, and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS).