Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wilm F. Unckenbold
Born in Göttingen on 7 July, 1963, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wilm F. Unckenbold studied General Mechanical Engineering at the TU Clausthal. He also worked as a research assistant in the Institute for Technical Mechanics at the TU Clausthal.
He did his doctorate at the TU Clausthal on the subject of "Statics for thermo-mechanically loaded heating panels of tall coke ovens based on orthotropic structures", and was project director at the Institute of Structural Mechanics of the Braunschweig Research Centre of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).
He served as Managing Director of INVENT, Innovative Verbundwerkstoffe Realisation und Vermarktung neuer Technologien GmbH and was a lecturer in the Production and Process Engineering Department at Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel University of Applied Sciences. He was also the Managing Director of HPS, High Performance Space Structure Systems GmbH and worked as a freelance engineer at the Engineering Office for Lightweight Construction Dr. Unckenbold.
Moreover, he was the head of the Business Centre of the CFK Valley Network of Excellence in Stade as an independent consultant of Sperlich-Consulting GmbH, Rosdorf, one of his main focuses of activities. Since April 2007, he has been a professor at PFH Private University of Applied Sciences where he was Vice President of Technology and Training between 2015 and May 2025,
Work and research interests
- Material and series-specific fibre composite constructions
- Design principles of fibre composite structures
- Fracture-mechanical behaviour of fibre composite structures
- Non-linear, anisotropic material behaviour in the presence of plate-shaped and disc-shaped loads (bulges)
Visions and objectives
- To create in-depth understanding of fibre-reinforced composites as a contribution to establishing lightweight materials in future growth markets
- To provide application-oriented and long-term training of budding and professionally experienced engineers in the target field of fibre composite technology
- To inspire young people to take an interest in innovative lightweight structures made from fibre composites