This year’s summer semester excursion took us to the Netherlands to visit Teijin Aramid, followed by a trip to WDI Python in Dortmund. During an engaging exchange, students got an up-close look at the solution spinning process on the fibre pilot line at Teijin Aramid’s development centre. Watching the analysis methods and material and component testing in action gave us a real feel for what laboratory staff deal with day to day — and made it pretty clear why the methods taught in the FTM Chair’s courses matter so much in practice.
After a relaxed evening exploring Arnhem’s charming old town, we headed to Dortmund the next day. There, we toured WDI Python’s two production sites and got to dive into the world of steel wire ropes. From high-performance wires to finished, top-quality ropes, we followed the entire production process on some seriously impressive machinery. The testing methods for steel wire ropes were demonstrated as well, and it was fascinating to see how closely they mirror the testing approaches used for fibre ropes.
A big thank you to Bo Cornelissen (Teijin) and Alexander Frank (WDI Python) for making this visit possible and carving out time for us in their busy schedules! We’d also like to thank the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering for their financial support.
Christoph Müller (TUC-FTM)
