On Thursday, Maximilian Schutzeichel from the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and Lennart Finger from the Stade campus of the Private University of Applied Sciences Goettingen received the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Prize 2018 for the best thesis on an aerospace-related topic. Lennart Finger’s project was implemented at CTC Stade, and Schutzeichel’s at Airbus — both companies are in the metropolitan region. The two winners received their prizes at the 53rd Hamburg Aviation Forum in the Hotel Hafen Hamburg. The Forum was focused on the comprehensive transformation of employment in aerospace, seen from a range of perspectives.
The Composite Technology Center Stade (CTC GmbH) already collaborated with both of 2017’s winners. This year, the company once again was home to the winner of the Young Talent Prize in the bachelor’s thesis category, Lennart Finger, a graduate of the Stade campus of the Private University of Applied Sciences Goettingen. Using a complex mounting bracket from an Airbus aircraft, Finger demonstrated the potential weight saving of producing these components with composite-fibre materials using 3D printing rather than manufacturing them from metal. The component’s design was optimised with software and analysed in terms of manufacturing options.
The first prize in the master’s thesis category was won by Maximilian Schutzeichel of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences for a concept developed in collaboration with Airbus. Schutzeichel’s winning thesis was based on an investigation of conductive carbon fibres coated with plastic electrolytes. He was examining the potential application in future aircraft batteries in terms of weight-reduction.
Ruben Czichos of the Technical University of Darmstadt came second in the master’s category. His project, also a successful collaborative effort with CTC GmbH, involved combining composite fibres with rigid foam in a sandwich structure which could save weight when used for cabin elements.
Third place in the master’s category went to Jonathan Evenson from the Hamburg University of Technology.His thesis, produced at the Institute of Laser and System Technologies, dealt with the development and testing of two heat exchanges produced using 3D printing. These plate heat exchangers are a special form of heat exchanger that transfers energy from one material to another. The geometry means they cannot be produced using conventional manufacturing methods, but also allows for targeted monitoring of fluids and results in higher efficiency.
Second place in the bachelor’s category went to Luca Mueller (Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with Airbus) for an investigation of fully automated riveting to provide employees relief from physically demanding work for employee. Laboratory tests with a collaborating robot provided a proof of concept.
Vivian Kriewall used a model aircraft with four electric engines along the wings to investigate the influence of a shortened vertical stabiliser on an aircraft’s behaviour. This brought the Hamburg University of Technology graduate third place in the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Prize.
Other finalists included Armin Rachwalik, who used a simulation to investigate centralised and decentralised production networks for the additive manufacture of aircraft replacement parts, with a view to the anticipated 2022 Airbus production programme, Markus Gastens of RWTH Aachen University (“Investigation of various geometric influence parameters on the effectivity of a round composite fibre structural repair plaster”) in collaboration with Airbus, and Julian Klaassen of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (“Energy harvesting at Hamburg Airport – an analysis of the potential of electricity generation using compression plates”) in collaboration with Hamburg Airport.
Ideas for the aviation industry of tomorrow vs. today’s challenges
The Young Talent Prize is Hamburg Aviation’s way of giving committed and promising university graduates the opportunity to present their ideas and innovations to the region’s aviation industry. There were 27 submissions from 10 universities for this, the sixth year of the prize. What they all have in common is a direct connection with Hamburg as a centre of aviation.
The winers of the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Prize receive a cash prize of 1,500 euros and may take part in Hamburg Aviation Forum gatherings for the following year free of charge. Krueger Aviation from Barsbuettel produced the trophies as a way of sponsorting the prize. “The Young Talent Prize spurs students to make an added effort and strive for excellence. And we honour that excellence. With the prize, I am convinced that we are encouraging the talent that can already be playing a role in shaping our region tomorrow. This is why the Young Talent Prize is so important for Hamburg as a metropolitan region in the aviation sector,” says Prof. Dr Jutta Abulawi from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, a member of the jury.
The Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Prize is presented by Hamburg Aviation and sponsored by Airbus, Krueger Aviation and Lufthansa Technik.
Traditionally, the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Prize is presented at the Hamburg Aviation Forum. This gathering of the Forum was, appropriately, dedicated to opportunities and current challenges of employment in aerospace. Airbus and DLR illuminated changes in personnel management and the job market in view of the increasing digitalisation in research and manufacturing. The network project DigiNet.Air, led by HCAT+ e.V., presented paths to training qualifications and digitalisation for SMEs, with free further training products to be developed over the coming years. And startups from the personnel sector introduced their services in an interactive pitch session.
