We want to be more! The research institute Swerim conducts needs-based industrial research and development concerning metals and their route from raw material to finished product. Swerim has 200 co-workers in two locations in Sweden - Luleå and Stockholm. Our vision is a fossil-free and circular industry.
Master Thesis: Comparison of fatigue properties using ultrasonic, resonance and servo hydraulic testing machines.
1 Place
Introduction: Today’s society demands metallic products with high strength, performance and low weight to support the green transition. Fatigue properties play a crucial part in determining the life and reliability of such products, to meet new and increased demands of the number of cycles required in fatigue testing. There are three commercialized fatigue testing techniques: the traditional servo hydraulic testing, the faster resonance testing and the very fast ultrasonic fatigue testing. Society wants to determine the fatigue properties of materials effectively, where the fastest technique, ultrasonic fatigue testing, can perform 10 million cycles in less than 10 minutes and the slowest, servo hydraulic testing, does the same in about 6 days. However, it is somewhat unclear if the different testing systems yield the same results. To help industry determine whether results from these three different types of testing machines give comparable results, Swerim, SSAB, Epiroc, GKN and MTS want to evaluate these techniques, to increase the understanding and potential limitations in comparison of fatigue results from them.
Job description: The aim of the assignment is to compare three fatigue testing techniques in room temperature to investigate the difference in produced results when testing identical specimens. It is of interest to map unknown parameters possibly affecting the results depending on the applied machine. The included fatigue testing techniques, available at Swerim, can be seen in Table 1. The student will perform a literature survey on fatigue properties and testing techniques, perform fatigue testing, fractography and draw conclusions from the results.
Table 1. Running frequency for the different testing methods.
Fatigue testing method |
Test frequency (Hz) |
Servo hydraulic testing machine |
10-15 |
Resonant fatigue testing machine |
150-200 |
Ultrasonic fatigue testing machine |
20 000 |
Qualifications:
- MSc. Student
- Knowledge in solid mechanics and/or material science
The project is intended for a master thesis (30hp). The start date is January 2026 or can be mutually decided through negotiations.
Further information
This project is intended to be performed at Swerim in Kista. Swerim rewards the student with 50 000 SEK for an approved master thesis (30hp).
Contacts
You are welcome to contact sanna.kylstrom@swerim.se if you have any questions about the project.
Application
Click on the following link to see available master thesis projects at Swerim: Vacant master degree projects
The application can be written in English or Swedish. The latest date for application is 2025-11-30. You will receive confirmation that Swerim has received your application. Please note that we fill the position as soon as we find a suitable applicant, which means we can fill the position before the deadline.
Application
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