Otto-Kienzle-Preis 2015
Industrieverband Massivumformung awards research into lightweighting potential in vehicle construction
Dipl.-Ing. Vera Wirths has received the Otto Kienzle Award 2015. The Industrial Association of Solid Forming honored the employee of the Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy at RWTH Aachen University at its annual conference in Lünen on June 18. Vera Wirths received the 5,000 euro award for her extensive research work on "Forged steels with improved operational strength through deformation-induced phase transformation" (TRIP steel).
The award is presented annually in honor of Prof. Dr.-Ing. eh. Otto Kienzle, who in the 1940s laid the foundation for cooperation between universities and the forging industry and introduced closed-die forging technology as a scientific discipline in teaching and research.
In the chassis area of passenger cars and commercial vehicles, it is important to use materials that have a significantly longer service life than competitor materials under typical operating stresses. Vera Wirths has succeeded in developing a steel whose retained austenite content and retained austenite stability are optimized in terms of component behavior under cyclic loading with variable amplitudes (fatigue strength). The scientist accepted the prestigious research award in front of more than 150 guests.
"Vera Wirths works with expertise and high commitment, our companies will benefit from the practical research results. This will lead to an improvement in lightweighting potential and ultimately to a competitive advantage over conventional steels and the new cast iron materials and aluminum structures," said Dr.-Ing. Frank Springorum, Chairman of the Board of the Solid Forming Industry Association, at the award ceremony.