The working group Werkstoffprüfung (AWP) belonging to the Department Mechanical and Process Engineering, founded in 2011, is active in the research of the mechanical strength of high strength materials and the effect of very small notches on the fatigue strength of components. The group is also engaged in the  analysis of technical cases of damage.
The research of high strength materials focuses on the relation between the microstructure and the cyclic load capacity i.e. the dynamic strength of the material. Within the (special research field) Sonderforschungsbereich 926, research on notches is conducted in close collaboration with other chairs in the fields of mechanical engineering, process engineering and physics.
In the analysis of technical cases of damage, the investigation of damages occuring in daily experiences, such as damages to machine parts, vehicles or tools receive priority.
Several testing machines are available for the experimental work to test specimens and components under cyclic loading. Microstructure analyses are realized by light and scanning electron microscopy.