Multifunctional Lightweight Structures

Book excerpt: This book presents key research findings on the combination of different technologies that promise to be particularly sustainable and broadly impactful in their application. The findings were compiled during the course of the first funding period for the MERGE Cluster of Excellence. New methods, potential solutions, and exemplary pilot applications take center stage as the text explores the next generation of functional integration via lightweight structures. The underlying manufacturing processes are based on textile, polymer, and metal processing techniques, all of which are suitable for large batch production, flexibility, and reproducibility.