Marion Merklein

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

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About

Marion Merklein is a leading figure in manufacturing engineering, with research spanning lightweight design, sheet metal forming, and laser-assisted processing. Her work focuses on overcoming material limitations to enable advanced, efficient production. A key contribution is her pioneering development of a lightweight robot arm using cellular titanium and nanocrystalline aluminum, demonstrating how modern materials can achieve specific density distributions and fine structures for high-performance applications (20 citations). She also addresses the formability challenges of aluminum alloys in bending and hemming operations through a novel combined laser-assisted roller hemming process, using a 4000 W Nd:YAG laser to expand their use as structural alternatives to steel (8 citations). Merklein’s impact extends to process simulation and integrated manufacturing, including a flexible clamping technology for force-controlled laser welding in body-in-white shops (4 citations) and a combined hydroforming, laser welding, and cutting process chain for complex hollow parts (4 citations). Her work is instrumental in advancing lightweight construction and manufacturing flexibility, with applications in automotive and aerospace industries.