The surface of a component has a decisive influence on its function and service life. In an interdisciplinary cooperation between mechanical engineering, process engineering and surface physics, the SFB 926 develops scientific fundamentals for the generation, characterization, and application of function-specific component surfaces. The focus is on microscale processes and methods. The central focus of the SFB 926 is the morphology of the component surface. It is defined by the geometric shape (topography), its microstructural composition, and its physical-chemical properties. A major goal of SFB 926 is to investigate surface-production-morphology-property relationships, which allow to directly infer the application behavior of a component from the manufacturing process and its process parameters. Conversely, knowledge of the surface-production-morphology-property relationships allows an optimal component design to be derived from the functional requirements of a component.

The SFB 926 is methodically divided into the project areas:

• Modeling and simulation
• Generation and experimental characterization
• Applications

These are thematically represented in the cross-sectional groups: Machining Microstructuring of Component Surfaces, Particles on Component Surfaces, Phase Transformations on Component Surfaces. Surface-production-morphology-properties are investigated, which enable new industrial applications and make existing ones more controllable. Thus, a scientific question is addressed, the successful processing of which can set essential impulses in the industry and thus open up a considerable economic potential.