Bertha Benz Prize 2017 awarded to Cornelia Sennewald

The still young class of materials known as cellular metallic materials has extraordinary potential - although the problem to date has been producing these cells cost-effectively and on an industrial scale. As part of her doctoral thesis at the Technical University of Dresden, Sennewald succeeded in developing a new process and producing these complex 3D structures on commercially available weaving machines. "Thanks to the new process, I was able to combine metal threads and wires into 3D structures instead of the usual 2D structures, and in completely different sizes and shapes," explains Sennewald. "I was also able - and this was a second major step forward - to weave together other lightweight materials such as carbon fibers, which opens up completely new application possibilities." The hybrid combination of metals and plastics offers a further broad spectrum of derivable applications. "We are thinking of crash elements that have extremely high rigidity and can also withstand high temperatures. For example, we could reinforce the concrete structures of buildings in this way to make them more resistant to earthquakes. Or protect them better against explosions. In the case of existing buildings, a corresponding material application could be considered, while the cellular woven structures we have developed could be incorporated into the construction of new buildings."

Above all, Sennewald focused on the applicability of the new process in practice. It is of little use to companies if a new technology only proves itself under laboratory conditions. "That's why I deliberately produced these 3D cells with my team on commercially available and only slightly modified weaving machines. This enabled us to show that these unusual structures and the combination of metallic and non-metallic materials are also possible without major costs or only by purchasing expensive special machines."

Dr.-Ing. Cornelia Sennewald has been awarded the Bertha Benz Prize 2017 for her dissertation "Generative structure, technology and weaving machine development for unique cellular 3D structures in lightweight construction". The prize-winning work was carried out at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Textile Machinery and Textile High Performance Materials Technology (ITM), at Dresden University of Technology.

Film about the award winner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dzv0rAVZWU

BU Portrait: Dr.-Ing. Cornelia Sennewald is awarded the Bertha Benz Prize 2017. She submitted her dissertation to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Dresden. (Photo: Mirko Krziwon/ITM)

BU Metal cells SennewaldVorhof: Together with her colleague Dipl.-Ing. Michael Vorhof, Dr.-Ing. Cornelia Sennewald examines the structure of woven metallic 3D cells. (Photo: Mirko Krziwon/ITM)