Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kristin Hockauf

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Faculty Engineering Sciences

Chair in Smart Materials

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kristin Hockauf
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kristin Hockauf
FakultƤt Ingenieurwissenschaften
Visitor address
Technikumplatz 17a
09648 Mittweida
5-240B
Postal address
Mittweida University
FakultƤt Ingenieurwissenschaften
Technikumplatz 17
09648 Mittweida

Teaching

  • Atomic Structure
  • Chemical bonds
  • States of order with crystal structure and characteristics
  • Lattice defects
  • Phase transitions
  • Nucleation and growth
  • Basic types of phase systems, including
  • Solid-state transformations
  • Iron-carbon diagram
  • ZTU/ZTA diagram for steels
  • Strengthening mechanisms in metallic materials
  • Crystal recovery and recrystallisation
  • Tensile tests
  • Hardness testing
  • KBV
  • Fatigue strength (single-stage Wƶhler test)

  • States of matter with a crystalline structure and characteristics
  • Lattice defects
  • Phase transitions
  • Nucleation and growth
  • Phase diagrams
  • Strengthening and weakening mechanisms
  • Tensile tests and hardness testing
  • Steels, steel designations and heat treatment of steels
  • Aluminium and aluminium alloys
  • Plastics
  • Conductive and resistive materials
  • Dielectrics for capacitors
  • Piezoelectric materials
  • Contact materials for switchable contacts and
  • soldered joints

Material behaviour during forming

  • Experimental determination of yield curves
  • Yield curve models
  • Influence of temperature, degree of forming, forming speed and material condition on flow behaviour Modern sheet metal materials
  • Steel, aluminium, magnesium
  • Manufacture; relationships between structure, microstructure and properties; testing of
    sheet metal materials; processing and service properties;

Materials for bulk forming

  • Structural, tool and heat-treated steels 
  • AFP steels 
  • Bainitic steels
  • Aluminium, magnesium and titanium alloys
  • Tool materials
  • Cold-work, hot-work and high-speed steel
  • Sintered steel, cermets, ceramics (particle-reinforced composites)
  • Powder production, powder mixtures, manufacture of moulded parts; fundamentals of sintering; properties and applications Composite materials/layered systems
  • Manufacture; properties; applications

Materials testing:

  • Principles and applications of X-RD
    Electron microscopy (TEM, SEM)
    , EDX, SIMS, AFM
    , computed tomography

Building on the knowledge of engineering mechanics, materials science and machine elements acquired during the Bachelor’s programme, the lectures cover the behaviour of components under cyclic and random loading, as well as component failure due to fracture. The focus here is on strength behaviour, and the course highlights the integration of analytical and experimental methods for component evaluation. Fracture mechanics methods for component evaluation form a further focus of the course, with particular emphasis placed on their practical application in engineering. Experimental methods for component testing are covered primarily during the practical sessions.

The basic concepts of damage analysis are explained in a systematic sequence. Models for a practical approach to the investigation of component damage are presented. To this end, an algorithm is developed which serves as a guide for practical case studies. Investigation methods that are of key importance in damage analysis are covered, with a focus on macroscopic and microscopic crack initiation and crack propagation. Furthermore, the areas of influence – material (material selection), design, manufacture, friction, wear, corrosion and operational behaviour – are discussed. It is demonstrated how the various investigation results provide information about the nature of the damage and, through logical reasoning, lead to the cause of the damage.
 

Sensor materials:

  • Dielectric materials with piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects
  • Semiconductor materials
  • Thermal effects
  • Photoelectric effects
  • Magnetic materials

Coating thickness measurement (non-destructive: gravimetric, cross-section analysis, XRF, eddy current, magnetic induction, electrical; destructive: coulometric, microscopic, dome section)
Determination of chemical composition (XRF, EDX, WDX, AES, SIMS, FTIR,
GDOES)
Metallography (optical microscopy, illumination techniques, specimen preparation,
types of sectioning)
Electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), laser scanning microscopy (LSM),
computed tomography (µCT)
Other (micro-)analysis and preparation methods (ECSTM, FIB)
Testing of wettability and adhesion (contact angle, wetting balance;
technological, destructive, absolute, non-destructive methods)
Roughness (GPS, line roughness, areal surface texture)
Microhardness (HV, HK, HM, Berkovich, micro-range)
Porosity (detection methods)
Determination of crystal structure and phases by X-ray diffraction (XRD)
Residual stress measurement (classification; two-strip method, dilatometer method;
sin²ψ method)
Ductility testing (bending test, mandrel bending test, tensile test)
Visual inspection (direct and indirect)
Gloss and reflection (gloss value)
Colour – saturation – brightness (colour spaces, colour distance, f

Career

November 2019 to the present

Chair in ā€˜Smart Materials’, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (FH)

2019

freelance work as a consultant (damage analysis, material selection, fracture mechanics)

2018–2019

freelance lecturing (materials testing, materials selection, materials used in electrical engineering)

2011–2019

Head of the Material Fatigue and Cyclic Fracture Mechanics Research Group at the Chair of ā€˜Surface Engineering and Functional Materials’ at Chemnitz University of Technology

2007–2011

Research Associate at Chemnitz University of Technology, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering

2019

Appointment

Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (FH); Chair of Smart Materials

2011

PhD

PhD thesis on the topic ā€˜Fatigue and crack propagation behaviour of precipitation-hardenable ultra-fine-grained aluminium alloys’. Grade: summa cum laude

2007

Conclusion

Degree from Chemnitz University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, specialising in ā€˜Materials Engineering’, with a minor in ā€˜Applied Mechanics’

Internships and study abroad
placements during my degree• LuleĆ„ University of Technology in LuleĆ„, Sweden, Department of
Solid Mechanics• UniversitĆ© de Sherbrooke in Sherbrooke, QuĆ©bec, Canada, in the Biomechanics Laboratory 

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Projects and Publications

Ermittlung des Risswiderstands an Brückenstahl

  • Term: 2025/03/01 – 2025/12/31
  • Financed by: Technische UniversitƤt München
  • Project managers: Kristin Hockauf
2838 Kristin Hockauf

ABVML: Ergebnisvorhersage des Aufschweißbiegeversuchs mittels Machine Learning (ML)

  • Term: 2024/04/01 – 2027/03/31
  • Financed by: EuropƤischer Sozialfonds (ESF)
  • Funding code: 100691067
  • Project managers: Kristin Hockauf
2731 Kristin Hockauf

Crack propagation tests on puddle steel with 1 R ratio

  • Term: 2024/03/01 – 2024/06/30
  • Financed by: University of Surrey
  • Project managers: Kristin Hockauf
2782 Kristin Hockauf

Innovationscluster HSMW 2023, AP04: Klimafreundliche Fertigungsstrategie für Stahl-Kunststoff-Verbunde

  • Term: 2023/04/01 – 2026/12/31
  • Financed by: SƤchsisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft, Kultur und Tourismus
  • Funding code: 100685484
  • Project managers: Kristin Hockauf
2527 Kristin Hockauf

Rissfortschrittsversuche an Altstahlproben der Elbbrücke Meißen

  • Term: 2022/10/01 – 2023/04/30
  • Financed by: Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden
  • Project managers: Kristin Hockauf
1831 Kristin Hockauf
F. Backofen, K. Hockauf, T. Halle

Benchmarking Convolutional Neural Network Architectures for Multi-Phase Semantic Segmentation: Challenges in Resolving WidmanstƤtten Ferrite Within Ferritic–Pearlitic Matrices

Appeared in: Metals 16 (2026), P. 726
21835 journalartikel
F. Backofen, M. Hockauf, K. Hockauf, T. Halle

CNN-Based Classification of Structural Steel Microstructures for the Prediction of the Outcome of the Welded Bead Bending Test

Appeared in: Metals 16 (2026), P. 625
21707 journalartikel
F. Backofen, U. HƤhnel, F. Hahn, K. Hockauf

Comparative Analysis of Various Supervised Machine Learning Models for the Prediction of the Outcome of the Welded Bead Bending Test

Appeared in: Metals 16 (2026), No. 4, P. 418
21683 journalartikel Modellierung und Simulation
D. Siebert, O. Kropidłowska, U. HƤhnel, K. Hockauf, C. Radlbeck, M. Mensinger

Fracture mechanics properties of welded bridge steel from the 1960’s: experimental characterization and comparison with literature data

Appeared in: Engineering Fracture Mechanics 339 (2026)
21684 journalartikel
P. Rebentrost, A. Engel, D. Metzner, F. Jahn, N. Omar, T. Mehner, T. Lampke, K. Hockauf, S. Weißmantel

Influence of combined burst-mode ultrashort laser irradiation on surface topography and tribological properties of cemented tungsten carbide

Appeared in: Journal of Laser Applications 37 (2025), P. 022020
21363 journalartikel Lasermikrobearbeitung
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