Phd student (d​/f​/m) in the field of Materials & Processes

Job Description:

In order to support the materials and processes department, Airbus Defence and Space is looking for a

Phd student (d/f/m) in the field of Materials & Processes, Multiscale Simulation of Cold Spray Processes for Predicting Repair Quality

You are looking for a PhD thesis and want to get to know the work within this area? Then apply now! We look forward to you supporting us in the Materials and Processes department as a Doktorand (d/f/m)!

• Location:
  
  Manching
• Start: 01.10.2026 / as soon as possible
• Duration: 36 months

Your location

Located about an hour's drive north of Munich, Manching is an up-and-coming market town that offers a wide range of leisure and cultural activities. Here, you can enjoy the quality of life in the countryside while the pleasures of near-by cities are still within easy reach.

Your benefits

• Attractive salary and work-life balance with an 35-hour week (flexitime).
• Traveling overseas or within Germany (team events) is possible after consultation and agreement from the department.
• International environment with the opportunity to network globally.
• Work with modern/diversified technologies.
• At Airbus, we see you as a valuable team member and you are not hired to brew coffee, instead you are in close contact with the interfaces and are part of our weekly team meetings.
• Opportunity to participate in the Generation Airbus Community to expand your own network.

Cold gas spraying (CGS) has emerged as a promising technology for the repair of metallic components in safety-critical applications. The quality of such repairs is strongly governed by complex physical phenomena - including particle deformation, interfacial bonding, oxide film disruption, and local
thermomechanical effects. A deep understanding of these processes is essential to ensure the structural integrity and long-term reliability of repaired components.
Currently, however, there is a lack of validated simulation approaches that combine detailed physical insight with long-term applicability in industrial development environments. Various numerical methods, ranging from continuum-based to particle-based approaches, have already contributed valuable insights
into local process phenomena such as plastic deformation, adiabatic heating, and interface formation in research settings.
This PhD thesis will pursue a holistic research approach combining experimental characterization, mechanical testing, and model-based analysis to decipher the relationships between process conditions, microstructure, and structural performance.

Your tasks and responsibilities

• Conduct targeted literature reviews on the influence of microstructure on the damage behavior of additively manufactured metallic coatings/layers.

• Fabricate and systematically vary coating systems under controlled process conditions.

• Perform multiscale microstructural characterization using advanced analysis methods (e.g., SEM/EBSD, micro-tomography, hardness mapping, residual stress analysis).

• Conduct mechanical testing of the coatings under static and cyclic loading conditions.

• Develop and refine mechanical testing methods to address specific scientific research questions.

• Identify and evaluate local damage mechanisms and their spatial distribution.

• Develop or apply physics-based models to describe damage evolution.

• Integrate experimental results into life-cycle and reliability analyses.

• Prepare and present scientific results through publications and conference presentations.

Desired skills and qualifications

Completed Master's degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, or a related engineering or natural science discipline.

• Solid knowledge of materials, microstructure, and the mechanical behavior of materials.

• Experience with experimental characterization methods.

• Experience with numerical modeling approaches (e.g., FEM) is an advantage.

• Interest in interdisciplinary research bridging process engineering, microstructure, and structural integrity.

• Basic understanding of coating processes or additive manufacturing technologies

• High level of self-motivation, analytical thinking skills, and enjoyment of in-depth scientific work.

• Analytical thinking and…