(from left to right): Prof. Dr. Frank Balle (University of Freiburg), Dr. Andreas Gassner (HFU), doctoral supervisor Prof. Dr. Hadi Mozaffari-Jovein (HFU), Prof. Dr. Bastian Rapp (University of Freiburg), Prof. Dr. Stefan J. Rupitsch (University of Freiburg)
Doctoral graduate on Tuttlingen Campus
It doesn't get any better than this − Andreas Gassner has completed an exceptional doctoral thesis at Furtwangen University (HFU). He was awarded the top grade of 1.0 for his dissertation entitled “Tribological-corrosive behavior of martensitic stainless steels”. In it, Gassner investigated the interactions between wear and corrosion mechanisms on special types of steel used in medical technology and food processing. The doctoral thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Hadi Mozaffari-Jovein, PhD supervisor in materials engineering at the Institute for Materials and Application Technology Tuttlingen (IWAT) at Furtwangen University in cooperation with the Institute for Microsystems Technology (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg.
The results of the work show that different wear processes occur during repeated dry rubbing of surgical instruments, for example, which alter over time. These processes can reduce or improve the corrosion resistance of the manufactured products. For the first time, a connection has been established between the different types of damage that can occur to medical instruments. Gassner also discovered that different electrical conditions during friction in liquids have a strong influence on material loss. The knowledge gained from this work makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of material durability and its optimisation in industrial applications.
Andreas Gassner completed his doctorate in November 2024. He is currently Head of Quality Management at at Hirschvogel Umformtechnik GmbH where he has been working since 2022. Andreas Gassner also lectures on the Tuttlingen Campus of HFU.