Numerical Simulation, Modelization, Mechanical Characterization and Micro-structural Optimization of Industrial Components

Looking for partners

SIMUMECAMAT is a research group from the University of Oviedo (Spain) with more than 20 years of experience in mechanical characterization, microstructural optimization and numerical simulation. The team is formed by 3 professors, 2 associate professors and 5 researchers.

The group has collaborated with different companies (Arcelor Mittal, Duro Felguera, Fundición Nodular...) and research centres (ITMA, CIEMAT; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic…). References of our members can be found in more than 130 scientific papers since 1990. More information about our work is available on www.simumecamat.com

We are looking for business opportunities and partners in the frame of Horizon 2020.

Based in our current lines of research, we are able to offer the following values added to your project:

Advanced mechanical characterization: Small Punch Test

By means of the miniature small punch test, which needs small amounts of material for mechanical testing (10mm2 of surface with 0.5 mm thickness), we are able to estimate the mechanical properties of any structural steel or metallic alloy (yield stress, ultimate tensile strength and even fracture toughness). This is very interesting when standard specimens cannot be extracted from the structural component, issue that takes place in many industrial components:

Analysis of welded joints: estimation of the mechanical properties of the heat affected zone (HAT), which is the critical zone of the weld.

Analysis of deterioration of in-service components: estimation of the level of deterioration of the material of a structural component by removing only a small piece and, therefore, without affecting its operation

Quality control of small structural elements: capability of testing small structural elements such as engines or implants, even in different directions. In these situations, standard specimens are not allowed due to the small size of the element, so usually quality control is performed by measurements of harness or porosity. We are able to estimate the actual mechanical properties.

Analysis of hydrogen embrittlement: capability of testing materials previously embrittled by hydrogen in our laboratory, in order of analysing the effect of the hydrogen on the mechanical properties. This is very interesting for the petrochemical industry.

Improvement of the fatigue life of structural components: Shot Peening

Shot peening (SP) is a severe plastic deformation treatment mainly applied to increase fatigue behavior of industrial components. It consists in impacting the surface by a flow of shots with kinetic energy sufficient to induce plastic deformation .The effects induced by SP mainly include: compressive residual stress field due to non-uniform surface plastic deformation; work-hardening due to the increase in the dislocation density; modifying surface topography due to the dents created by the impacts causing the surface roughness increase; and eventually strain induced phase transformation. Shot peening treatment is also able to reduce grain dimension on a thin superficial layer, up to nano scale (smaller than 100 nm), when it is applied using unconventional parameters (Severe Shot Peening (SSP)). Several studies evidence that, despite the roughness increase, compressive residual stresses field and workhardening induced by SP improve the fatigue behavior of components, increasing resistance to crack propagation, which prolongs their lifetime.

Our great experience in numerical simulation of the fracture micromechanisms allows us, by combining experimental testing and numerical simulation, to assess the actual behaviour of a structural component, in order to give the best solution attending to criterions of safety, economy and suitability.

Advanced design: Numerical Simulation

The combination of many years of research on the fields of fracture mechanics, fatigue or microstructural optimization, and the wide variety and capability of our laboratory, allows us to perform advanced testing of different materials, such as structural steels, alloys, biomaterials and so on. The knowledge guaranteed by 3 Professors with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of mechanical engineering, material’s science and computational mechanics assures the best guidance for solving structural or material problems.

Advanced testing and consultant's office

Contact us

SIMUMECAMAT

Polytechnic School of Engineering
Viesques Campus

33203 Gijón (Spain)

Fco. Javier Belzunce Varela

Tel (+34) 985182024