Polymer Competence Center Leoben

Polymer Competence Center Leoben

Polymer Competence Center Leoben

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PARTNER DESCRIPTION
The Polymer Competence Center Leoben (PCCL) has led collaborative research in polymer technology and polymer science in Austria for more than 20 years. Our 120 and more experts carry out R&D in diverse polymer applications, including automotive, aerospace, packaging, and solar energy. We also draw on the expertise of academic specialists from the Montanuniversitaet Leoben and the Universities of Technology in Graz and Vienna.

KEY PERSONS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT

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DI Dr. Roman Kerschbaumer

Dr. Roman Kerschbaumer studied Polymer Engineering and Science at the Montanuniversitaet Leoben in Austria and focused on the technology of injection molding of rubber materials during his PhD. Since 2019, he is responsible for the processing technologies group at PCCL with a strong focus on process-structure-property relationships. Main research areas include material characterization, development of new testing methods, process simulation, and process control.

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Doc. DI Dr. Andreas Hausberger

Dr. Andreas Hausberger has studied Polymer Engineering and Science at the Montanuniversitaet Leoben. After his master degree he finished his PhD in the field of polymer tribology. Mr. Hausberger is employed at the Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL) working as a division manager in the field of elastomer technology and process optimization and is the leader of the polymer tribology working group. His main activities are the coordination of governmental founded projects (e.g. COMET-K1, COMET-Module, BRIDGE, Production of the Future) and contractual research. Mr. Hausberger has more than 15 years’ experience in polymer tribology related topics. His main research interests are in the field of failure analysis, method development, optimization of materials and components for tribological systems. In an academic context he is lecturing at the faculty of polymer technology in Slovenia the subject’s polymer physics and material characterization. He is author and co-author of over 30 articles in scientific journals with IF.

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Priv.-Doz. DI Dr. Sandra Schlögl

Dr. Sandra Schlögl currently heads the division “Chemistry of Functional Polymers” at the PCCL and is a lecturer at Montanuniversitaet Leoben (Austria), teaching courses at an MSc level in polymer photochemistry and in stimuli-responsive polymers. In 2008, she obtained her PhD in Technical Chemistry from Graz University of Technology (Austria) under the supervision of Prof. Wolfgang Kern. She stayed as visiting scientist at Politecnico di Torino (Italy) in 2016 and finished her habilitation (post-doctoral lecturing qualification) in Macromolecular Chemistry in 2017. Her research centers on stimuli-responsive polymers, dynamic polymer networks, photochemistry in polymers, and surface functionalization of polymers. She has already published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, is inventor/co-inventor of 12 patents (national and international) and has received several awards for her research ,e.g., EARTO Innovation Award, Paul Dufour Award and Science to Business Award.

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Priv.-Doz. DI Dr. Gernot Oreski

Dr. Gernot Oreski is Division Manager at the PCCL and heads the »Sustainable Polymer Solutions« division. He holds a PhD in Polymer Engineering and Science and has nearly 20 years of R&D expertise. His main fields of research are polymer science and testing as well as long term reliability and degradation behavior of polymeric materials and components for PV modules. An additional field of research are sustainability and recycling of polymers. In addition to his work for the PCCL, Dr. Oreski serves as lecturer at the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering of the University of Leoben.

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DI Dr. Peter Fuchs MBA

Dr. Peter Fuchs studied Polymer Engineering and Science at the University of Leoben in Austria and received his Master’s degree in 2007. He started at the PCCL as a researcher in the field of finite element simulation and fracture mechanics of polymers. He graduated to PhD in 2012. Research stays at the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA (functional polymers) and at the Imperial College London, UK (mechanical engineering) strengthened his multidisciplinary knowledge on material behavior and modeling of polymers. He additionally received a MBA degree in business administration in 2020. Currently he is manager of the simulation and modeling division at the PCCL and responsible for a team of 15 researchers and for a number of international and national research projects. He is the industry supervisor of four ongoing and five finished PhD thesis.

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Mag. Michaela Wolz

Mag. Michaela Wolz worked for several years in a large Austrian financial company before bringing her expertise to PCCL in 2019 to support the Accounting and Controlling department. Her main tasks include project administration and budgeting, cost planning and KPI calculation applying different project administration tools as well as being the link between the operational project managers.

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DI Tanja Stiller

DI Tanja Stiller studied Polymer Science at the Montanuniversitaet in Leoben and graduated in 2018. Since 2019 she works as a researcher and operative project manager at the Polymer Competence Center Leoben. In the same year she started her doctoral study with the topic of mechanical characterisation of additively printed material combinations. Her research fields include additive manufacturing, mechanical testing, and tribology of polymers.

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Bernd Haar

Bernd Haar joined PCCL in 2015 and, as a member of the research group “Engineering Plastics”, is engaged in research in the field of thermoplastic polymer processing technology. His work deals with a wide spectrum of processing techniques (injection molding, extrusion, fused filament fabrication, selective laser sintering, etc.), processing relevant material characterization (thermal, rheological) as well as material (formulation) development.

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Bernhard Lechner

Bernhard Lechner started his study of Polymer Engineering and Science at the Montanuniversitaet Leoben (Austria) in 2006. During this time, he joined the Chair of Polymer Injection Molding in 2010 as a part-time laboratory technician. In 2020, he decided to join the PCCL as a full-time technician, focusing on the material characterization required for injection molding simulation, sample preparation, and the execution of thermal, mechanical, and dynamic part testing.