School of Biomedical and Precision Engineering

Student Visit to Alemnis AG

As part of the Precision Engineering program's commitment to bridging academic learning with industry insights, students recently embarked on an insightful visit to Alemnis AG in Thun.

Dr. Nicholas Randall, Vice President Business Development, Alemnis AG, introduces our students to the science of nondestructive material characterisation by nanoindentation at Alemnis AG in Thun. Alemnis is a Swiss company active in the field of in-situ material testing by state-of-the-art nanoindentation technologies. It was founded in 2008 as a spin-off from Empa, the Swiss Federal Institute of Material Science and Technology in Thun.

Nanoindentation is a powerful method to analyse mechanical properties of samples, including hardness and elastic modulus, as well as to identify various mechanical phenomena such as creep, strain hardening, surface cracking, phase transformations and fracture toughness.

The excursion seamlessly connected practical industry insights with the theoretical foundation provided in the Micro- and Nanomechanical Testing lectures within the Advanced Course II: Ultraprecision Engineering. This hands-on experience enriched students' understanding of material diagnostics and its cutting-edge applications in modern engineering.