The microstructure of modern materials significantly influences their macroscopic material properties. We develop algorithms for the characterization and stochastic modeling of such microstructures based on three-dimensional image data, e.g. CT, FIB-REM and REM. Our products are dedicated to a deeper understanding of the complex geometry and the structure-property relationships in materials, thus offer new possibilities such as the optimization of material properties by virtual material design.
Spatial image analysis is gaining in importance as more and more methods for the three-dimensional high-resolution imaging of different materials become available. At Fraunhofer ITWM, since 2000, algorithms for the analysis of three-dimensional image data are being developed. High-resolution tomography data of material structures are provided by the in-house computer tomograph.
Stochastic geometry models are adapted to the actual microstructures based on the characteristics obtained from the image data. These models reflect the geometric structures well and thus simplify numerical simulations.
The MAVI (Modular Algorithms for Volume Images) software package, developed at Fraunhofer ITWM, for 3D image analysis is constantly being expanded. The software package ToolIP in combination with MAVIkit enables graphical algorithm development as well as batch processing for volume data.