City:  Aachen
Date:  Jan 6, 2026

Bachelor Thesis: »Investigation and modeling of clamping forces during turning«

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (www.fraunhofer.com) is one of the world's leading organizations for application-oriented research. 75 institutes develop pioneering technologies for our economy and society – more precisely: 32 000 people from technology, science, administration and IT. They know: Anyone who comes to Fraunhofer wants to and can make a difference. For themselves, for us and for the markets of today and tomorrow.

At the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, we are creating the production of the future with more than 450 employees – digital, sustainable and resilient. In the »High-Performance Cutting« department, we develop technologies and application-oriented solutions for cutting along the entire process chain - from process design and process simulation to real-time data acquisition during production, consulting, and prototype manufacturing.

 

You investigate how centrifugal forces affect the clamping forces during operation on our turning machines. You derive models from your data obtained in experiments, 

 

Be part of change

  • Theoretical calculations of the effect of centrifugal forces on the clamping
  • Simulate clamping conditions using the Finite Element Method (FEM) with Ansys mechanical
  • Planning and execution of experiments to determine clamping forces during operation

 

What you contribute

  • You are studying mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics or a comparable subject
  • A solid understanding of solid mechanics, machining and measurement techniques
  • Initial experience in using commercial FEM solvers (e.g. Ansys Mechanical, Abaqus)
  • You can write basic scripts in Python, Matlab or a similar language
  • Good language skills in English are required, German proficiency is a plus but not required

 

What we offer

  • Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team
  • You become part of the team from the very beginning, can contribute your ideas and take on tasks on your own responsibility
  • A state-of-the-art machine park equipped with extensive measurement systems

 

We value and promote the diversity of our employees' skills and therefore welcome all applications – regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, ideology, disability, sexual orientation and identity. Severely disabled persons are given preference in the event of equal suitability. Our tasks are diverse and adaptable – for applicants with disabilities, we work together to find solutions that best promote their abilities.

With its focus on developing key technologies that are vital for the future and enabling the commercial utilization of this work by business and industry, Fraunhofer plays a central role in the innovation process. As a pioneer and catalyst for groundbreaking developments and scientific excellence, Fraunhofer helps shape society now and in the future. 

Ready for a change? Then apply now and make a difference! Once we have received your online application, you will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt. We will then get back to you as soon as possible and let you know what happens next.

 

For any further information on this position please contact:
Dr. Billy-Joe Bobach
Research Assistant »High Performance Cutting«
Phone: +49 241 8904-174    

Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT 

www.ipt.fraunhofer.de 

 

Requisition Number: 82708                Application Deadline:

 


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