Julius Zwickler has been part of the ‘Forming Your Future’ excellence programme at PtU since July 2025.

As part of the programme, Mr Zwickler is working on sensorless wear detection in forming technology. Building on his bachelor's thesis, he is investigating the application of the thermoelectric effect for real-time monitoring of tool wear – a promising approach for increasing process reliability and resource efficiency.

The focus is on the further development of an innovative, non-invasive method based on the measurement of the thermoelectric stresses generated by the Seebeck effect at the tool-workpiece contact points. Unlike conventional measurement methods, this method allows wear to be analysed directly in the forming process without additional sensors.

In the future, Mr Zwickler plans to transfer the measurement concept to stamping and progressive dies and validate it for industrial use. The aim is to lay the foundation for a universally applicable wear detection technology that will make production processes more sustainable, efficient and economical.

We wish Mr Zwickler success for his work in the Excellence Programme and look forward to supporting him in his professional and personal development.