About Metramat

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METRAMAT

The main objective of the METRAMAT Doctoral Network is to actively train young researchers to become skilled in metamaterial development by researching and creating a combined set of design, simulation, manufacturing, testing, reliability assessment and integration tools that will strengthen the European manufacturing industry and lead to a sustainable society.

To fulfil this objective, METRAMAT brings together a multi-disciplinary team of 5 universities and 5 industrial partners, all world-class leaders in their respective academic or industrial disciplines. This consortium has jointly identified that the major bottlenecks to be resolved to address the metamaterial application challenges are located in the following 3 main focus domains. Each of these focus domains forms the central theme of one of the three research work packages (WP):

Design and Simulation. Metamaterial design and simulation, across multiple length scales, including practical design guidelines and principles.
Manufacturing, Characterization and Reliability. Metamaterial manufacturing requiring non-conventional techniques, processing-structure-performance multi-scale characterization and reliability assessment, including long term fatigue behaviour.
System Integration Metamaterial design for integration into (existing) components and systems, including CAE workflow, assembly techniques and testing.

Participants

Hiring institutes

Academic Partners

Industrial Partners

METRAMAT Consortium

Additive Industries

Scientific Challenges

Before metamaterials can make their way to the everyday engineering practice and become regular, yet superior to the current practice, design solution, breakthrough needs to be realized on several Scientific Challenges (SC). These will be the focal points of the research training program of the present doctoral network:

Characterization of metamaterials at multiple scales to establish processing-structure-performance relations, using in-situ and ex-situ destructive and non-destructive methods.
Characterization of metamaterial fatigue behaviour and failure mechanisms and establishment of failure prediction models.
Characterization of the behaviour of metamaterials upon integration into system, under complex loading condition, possibly subjected to multiple fields, e.g. mechano-electro-magnetic etc.
Unravelling sensitivity of metamaterial performance with respect to manufacturing tolerances and defects to establish guidelines for robust design and manufacturing.
Design for multi-field loading conditions, e.g. coupled mechano-electro-magnetic actuation and response.
Exploration of a large, multi-parameter, non-convex design space and multi-objective optimization to satisfy multiple, possibly conflicting requirements.
Extending the applicability ranges of elastic/acoustic metamaterials by broadening attenuation zones and/or tunability, e.g. through harnessing non-linear effects.
Exploitation of non-linear emergent phenomena for the design of new devices and new function combinations.
Development of efficient numerical analysis methods for linear metamaterials amendable for integration into industrial CAE workflow.
Development of computationally affordable numerical analysis methods for non-linear metamaterials with incorporation of multi-field couplings.

Efficient modelling methods for metamaterial integration into (existing) components and systems, which requires accounting for finite size, complex shapes, interfaces, constraints and complex multi-axial loading conditions.

Carrier problems

Development of novel tools and innovative methodologies will be demonstrated on several problems originating directly from the industrial practice that will serve as Carrier Problems (CP). The developed integrated design, characterization and reliability assessment approach will be showcased on following applications:

Vibration control for Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) packages. Here, switchable, anisotropic stiffness properties are required to locally finetune the vibration behaviour in order to reduce cross-coupling that can occur between different MEMS or between MEMS and external vibrations in harsh environments. This can compromise the correct functioning of a MEMS device, e.g., sensors in satellites, vertical take-off and landing aircrafts and autonomous vehicles;
Broadband or self-tunable vibration insulation between parts of high-precision lithography equipment. This function typically needs to be combined with additional stiffness requirements, e.g., compliant or load bearing function, and complex geometry.
Novel concept for customizable, high-performance metamaterial for 3D sensor/actuators exploiting advanced non-linear wave interaction effects.

Doctoral Candidates

To address the above mentioned scientific challenges and carrier problems, 10 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will be trained within the METRAMAT Network. They will focus on the following main aspects:

Develop the key principles for metamaterial design at multiple length scales and design using metamaterials for various functions and, possibly conflicting, requirements.
Simulate and predict of metamaterial performance as a stand-alone architected structure and when integrated into components and systems.
Validate the metamaterial designs and the newly established design principles through manufacturing, characterization and reliability assessment upon prolonged cyclic use.
Test and demonstrate metamaterial performance
Disseminate the results to the academic and industrial stakeholders.
Create awareness among industry, policymakers and general public about the importance of the sustainable design for strengthening the European economy and society and the role metamaterials can play in this respect.

DC#	Hiring institute	DC Title
DC1	TU/e	Modelling, design, and optimization of metamaterials with switchable mechanical properties
DC2	KU Leuven	Robust design of optimal, manufacturable, linear solutions for (low frequency) vibration migration
DC3	KU Leuven	Exploration and validation of non-linear metamaterial concepts for enhanced vibration reduction
DC4	TU/e	Design and modelling techniques for metamaterials based on emergent non-linear phenomena
DC5	KU Leuven	Production of fine metamaterial features by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF)
DC6	NTNU	Multi-scale characterization of metamaterial structures
DC7	KU Leuven	Characterization of integrated metamaterials under complex loading
DC8	PoliMi	Metamaterials with switchable properties for integration in MEMS testing equipment and packaging
DC9	TU/e	Simulation methodologies for metamaterial integration at system level
DC10	PoliMi	Nonlinear metamaterials for 3D meta-MEMS sensors/actuators