Infrastructure
Division of Production and Materials Engineering
Our research laboratory is situated in M-building, at the south end of the campus of the Faculty of Engineering in Lund. In total the laboratory encompasses 1000 square meter that can highlight most parts of modern production, from injection moulding of plastics to deep-drawing of sheet metal, even if our main research is connected to metal cutting.
Explore our equipment
Our laboratories combine equipment for all machining operations to test tools and materials, sample preparation equipment, microscopy and measurements.
Research facilities
Our SMT 500 is the primary machine for turning research. It is a 2-axis CNC lathe without tool changer. Possible research setups include cryogenic cooling of workpiece or turning in inert atmosphere.
- Max turning diameter 520mm.
- Max turning length 1500mm.
- Spindle Motor 71kW
- Max 4500 rpm.
- High-pressure coolant up to 100 Bar.
The DMG Mori NLX 2500 is a 3-axis CNC lathe with driven tools, used for research, demonstrations or small series manufacturing.
- Max turning diameter 450mm
- Max turning length 750mm
- Spindle Motor 22kW
- Max 4000 rpm.
- 12 station tool changer
- BMT 65 Driven tools
- Industrial High-pressure coolant up to 70 Bar.
VDF Boerhinger M530 is a manual lathe for simple research setups. The machine has been rebuilt with a larger spindle motor and is equipped with a variator for variable spindle speeds.
- Max turning diameter 550mm
- Max turning length 1250mm
- Spindle Motor 15kW
- Max 1800 rpm.
Our main CNC milling machine is a Bridgeport XR1270e, with 3-Axis, large working envelope and a big spindle motor. The machine is used for research, demonstrations or manufacturing.
- Working envelope 1200x600x700mm
- Spindle Motor 22kW
- Max 12000 rpm.
- Equipped with a 48 station tool changer for ISO40 taper tooling and 20 Bar coolant trough spindle.
Apart from the research machines, we have a complete workshop for prototype and small series production. The capabilities include manual and CNC machines, planar- and tool grinders as well as wire-EDM machines.
The lab is also equipped with a 3D-Printer, a Prusa i3, for manufacturing of prototypes and simple fixtures. Other facilities include heat treatment- and vacuum furnaces and hydraulic presses up to 400 tons.
Avaliable on demand
Adjoining the research lab is a student workshop, where a course is arranged to give students some a hands-on experience of manufacturing. The students learn the basics regarding welding, machining, both turning and milling, as well as CNC programming.
After finishing the course, the workshop is open for students to use the equipment to support other teaching activities; examples could be their master thesis project or project courses, like Lund Formula Student.
Avaliable on demand
Sample preparation and microscopy
Part of the laboratory is state-of-the-art sample preparation and analysis equipment. The possibilities include low speed cutting with a Struers Minitom or fully programmable and automated cutting and grinding in the Struers Accutom-30. Cut samples can be hot-mounted in thermosetting epoxy using a Struers Citopress-5. And finally, samples can be polished manually at one of our Struers Labosystems, or as part of a semi-automated batch in our Struers Tegramin-100. For specialized samples we have the option for electro-polishing in a Struers Lectropol-5 or with a vibropolisher for better surface finish.
- Book Automated cutting machine Struers Accutom-30 on TimeEdit website
- Book Hot mounting machine Struers CitoPress-5 on TimeEdit website
- Book Manual polishing machines Struers Labosystems on TimeEdit website
- Book Electro Polisher Struers Lectropol-5 on TimeEdit website
- Book Automated polishing machine Struers Tegramin-100 on TimeEdit website
The Alicona is a 3D-microscope, for non-contact, optical measurement using focus variation. Typical uses could be accurate measurement of geometrical features; like surface roughness, angles or radii, or tool wear comparison, using overlays of before and after images of tools.
The Alicona microscope is also equipped with a rotational unit, for measurement of rotating tools.
- Positioning volume 200x200x100mm.
- Minimum measureable surface roughness (Ra) 0.15µm.
- Min measureable radius 3µm.
For materials characterization we have the possibility to use a handheld X-ray materials analyzer (XRF), to determine the atomic composition of a material. We also have a hardness tester, for evaluation according to Vickers, HRB or Knoop.
The facilities include an Optical microscope, a Olympus SZX7, for further analysis of microstructure in the polished samples. Through our collaborations within Lund University, we have access to advanced microscopy techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Focus ion beam (FIB) for sample extraction.
Specialised research equipment
The tribotester is designed and developed in-house and is based on strip drawing with flat dies. The device is capable of estimating friction between two contact surfaces under various static and dynamic conditions. The unique drive system combined with accurate control of the normal load is the main advantage of the device compared to other tribometers based on parallel strip drawing.
Examples of use could be evaluation of different lubricants or material interaction for new bearing materials.
- Sample area: 150x600mm
- Max normal force: 12kN
- Maximum drag load 6kN
- Max relative speed: 6 m/s
- Simultaneous measurement of forces in three directions
Contact
Oleksandr Gutnichenko
oleksandr [dot] gutnichenko [at] iprod [dot] lth [dot] se (oleksandr[dot]gutnichenko[at]iprod[dot]lth[dot]se)
The corrosion simulation machine is a repurposed experimental pasteurizer, which can test the corrosion resistance of materials against various liquids. The machine is capable of simulating the conditions for example inside a food grade plate heat exchanger, and inducing pitting corrosion. The liquid is heated and pumped in a continuous flow past a sample of varying size. Today we are able heat most liquids up to 150°C.
Contact
Filip Lenrick
filip [dot] lenrick [at] iprod [dot] lth [dot] se (filip[dot]lenrick[at]iprod[dot]lth[dot]se)
The machine is a NanoTest Vantage from Micro Materials, equipped with hot-stage and possibility for experiments in controlled atmosphere. The machine can be used for indentation or scratch test on a variety of materials.
- Testable surface area 50x100mm
- Maximum indentation load 500mN
- Maximum scratch distance 10mm at 0.1 – 100 µm/s
- Maximum temperature 500°C.
Contact
Jinming Zhou
jinming [dot] zhou [at] iprod [dot] lth [dot] se (jinming[dot]zhou[at]iprod[dot]lth[dot]se)
Our LFA is manucfactured by Netzsch, a modell LFA 467 Hyperflash, and is used to determine the thermal conductivity and diffusivity of novel materials. The machine heats the lower surface of the sample and an IR detector measures the temperature increase on the upper sample surface. It holds four samples per test, of which one is a reference sample.
- Sample size: Ø10 or Ø12,7mm.
- Temperature range -100°C – 1300°C
- Measuring range Thermal diffusivity: 0.01 mm2/s to 2000 mm2/s
- Measuring range Thermal conductivity: < 0.1 W/(m*K) to 4000 W/(m*K)
Contact
Andrii Hrechuk
andrii [dot] hrechuk [at] iprod [dot] lth [dot] se (andrii[dot]hrechuk[at]iprod[dot]lth[dot]se)
Contact infrastructure
Mikael Hörndahl
mikael [dot] horndahl [at] iprod [dot] lth [dot] se (mikael[dot]horndahl[at]iprod[dot]lth[dot]se)