Newsblog
3rd SHAPE Project Meeting
Authors: Shimelis Bihon Gasha
Date: 13.01.2026
On December 3, 2025, the partners of the M-ERA.NET 3 collaborative project SHAPE held their 3rd project meeting digitally. The consortium includes the Professorship of Composites and Material Compounds (PVW) in Germany, Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey, Kraków University of Technology in Poland, and ATMAT Sp. z o.o. in Poland. The project is jointly funded by the Saxony State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK), the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), and the National Centre for Research and Development in Poland (NCBR).
The meeting focused on reviewing the scientific progress achieved over the past months. The partners presented recent results on the fabrication of Cu/SiC composite powders and functionally graded composites (FGCs). In addition, ongoing research activities on the copper coating of SiC powders were discussed, along with the possibilities for producing composite filaments using composite powders. These activities contribute to the overall objective of developing advanced materials for high-performance electrical applications. Following the presentations, the partners engaged in constructive discussions addressing the results, existing challenges, and technical considerations. The meeting also provided an opportunity to plan future collaborative activities, including the preparation of a new joint project proposal.
For more information on this project, please contact M.Sc. Saravanan Palaniyappan, M.Sc. Shimelis Bihon, Dr.-Ing. Maik Trautmann, and Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Guntram Wagner.
SHAPE meets WTK 2025: A Convergence of Science and Collaboration
Authors: Saravanan Palaniyappan
Date: 24.04.2025
On April 2nd and 3rd of 2025, partners of the M-ERA.NET collaborative project, SHAPE, gathered in Chemnitz, Germany, for the 24th Materials Engineering Colloquium (WTK) and the project's second official meeting at Group of Composites and Material Compounds (PVW). The event, hosted by the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering (IWW) at the Chemnitz University of Technology, provided an ideal platform for presenting ongoing research and strengthening collaboration.
Professors Tamel Varol and Ümit Alver from Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), Turkey, and Professor Marek Hebda from Cracow University of Technology (CUT), Poland, represented the SHAPE consortium at the WTK. Professor Varol delivered a presentation titled “Effects of Electroless Copper Coating on the Properties of Copper-Silicon Carbide Composite Powders Produced by Mechanical Milling.” At the same time, Professor Hebda contributed a poster on “Evaluation of Copper Powders for the Binder Jetting 3D Printing Process.” Both contributions align with the SHAPE project's core research themes and are expected to be published soon.
After the conference, the SHAPE partners toured the laboratories of PVW, gaining insights into the facilities supporting powder synthesis and composite development. The second SHAPE project meeting followed the lab tour, focusing on technical progress and plans. Recent results were presented on developing Cu-SiC composites using high-energy ball milling, alongside ongoing research on recycling copper powders from industrial scrap. The meeting concluded with in-depth discussions on challenges, outcomes, and the next steps in the collaboration.
This visit marked an important milestone in the SHAPE project, reinforcing international cooperation and scientific exchange.
For more information on this project, please contact M.Sc. Saravanan Palaniyappan, M.Sc. Shimelis Bihon, Dr.-Ing. Maik Trautmann, and Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Guntram Wagner.
A comprehensive overview of the project SHAPE can be seen here in this video:
SHAPE - the future
Authors: Shimelis Bihon Gasha
Date: 10.10.2024
In an EU cooperation project involving the Professorship of Composites and Material Compounds (PVW) at Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany, Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey, Krakow University of Technology in Poland, and ATMAT Sp. z o.o. in Poland, sustainable high-performance functionally graded composites of particle-reinforced Cu/SiC will be developed and scientifically investigated over the next three years. The project aims to create a new type of electrical composite material with enhanced interfacial bonding, uniform particle distribution, and superior conductivity, while ensuring cost-effectiveness, ease of production, and resistance to wear and erosion for electrical applications.
The Cu-composite powders will be produced from recycled copper powders reinforced with various SiC contents using High-Energy Ball Milling (HEBM). Additionally, composites will be produced similarly using commercial Cu powder to compare the result with the composites made from recycled copper powders. The SiC reinforcements are subjected to an electroless Cu coating prior to HEBM in order to improve the interfacial bonding with the Cu matrix during mechanical alloying. Likewise, the composite powders after HEBM will undergo Cu-coating through electroless plating to improve their properties during subsequent consolidation processes. The resulting composite powders will be consolidated into Cu-based Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) and Functionally Graded Composites (FGCs) using various additive manufacturing techniques and the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) method available at the facilities of the consortium members.
The kickoff meeting was held digitally on the 5th of June 2024 with consortium partners from the four research institutions.
The project entitled “Sustainable High performance functionally graded composites via. Advanced manufacturing of Particle reinforced Cu/SiC for Electrical applications (SHAPE)” was applied in the MERA.NET Call 2023 and is co-financed with tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.
For more information on this project, please contact Dr.-Ing. Maik Trautmann, M.Sc. Saravanan Palaniyappan, M.Sc. Shimelis Bihon, and Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Guntram Wagner.
