Prof. Dr. Thomas Mayer

Work at ZHAW

Position

Head of Focus Area Mechanics for Modelling, Senior Lecturer in Mechanics

Focus

• Thermo-Mechanical Process Simulation (e.g. for Additive Manufacturing)
• Material Characterisation & Modelling (Metals)
• Modelling of Damage & Lifetime Prediction (Metals)
• Thermo-mechanical FE Simulation & Structural Optimisation

Teaching

• Senior Lecturer in Mechanics, BSc Mechanical Engineering
• Lecturer in Mechanics, MSE MSc in Engineering

Experience

• R&D Engineer (Mechanical Components)
  General Electric / Alstom, Switzerland
  01 / 2015 - 12 / 2019
• R&D Engineer (Centre for Mechanical Integrity)
  inspire AG
  01 / 2012 - 09 / 2013
• PhD Student / Research Assistant
  Empa - High Temperature Integrity Group, Switzerland
  09 / 2008 - 08 / 2012

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Doctorate (Dr. sc. ETH) / Mechanical Engineering - Experimental and Structural Mechanics
  ETH Zurich / Empa
  09 / 2008 - 12 / 2012
• MSc ETH / Maschineningenieurswissenschaften - Mechanics, Structures, and Manufacturing
  ETH Zurich
  03 / 2007 - 09 / 2008
• BSc ETH / Mechanical Engineering - Structural Mechanics
  ETH Zurich
  09 / 2003 - 08 / 2007

Continuing Education

• Internal Leadership Course
  ZHAW
  09 / 2022
• CAS University Didactics
  PHZH
  09 / 2020

Network

Membership of networks

• Additive Manufacturing Platform
• Platform Industry 4.0

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3083-9926

Projects

• Bobbin Tool and Process Monitoring for FSW for Lightweight Applications / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• Development of an accelerated reliability test for innovative, lead-free power semiconductors / Project leader / ongoing
• Reduced Residual Stresses through Support Structure Optimization in Laser Powder Bed Fusion / Project leader / ongoing
• Digital twin of ROSTA rubber spring elements / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• Machine Learning Enhanced Process Simulation in Laser Pow­der Bed Fusion (LPBF) / Project leader / completed
• Optimisation of additively manufactured metallic components with process simulation / Project leader / completed

Publications

• Mayer, Thomas; Friso, Francesca; Radis, Rene,

  2025.

  Effect of build orientation on thermal expansion of LPBF printed Ti-6Al-4V.

  Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A.

  56(4), pp. 1287-1309.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-025-07706-7

• Scheel, Pooriya; Markovic, Patrik; Van Petegem, Steven; Makowska, Malgorzata Grazyna; Wrobel, Rafal; Mayer, Thomas; Leinenbach, Christian; Mazza, Edoardo; Hosseini, Ehsan,

  2023.

  A close look at temperature profiles during laser powder bed fusion using operando X-ray diffraction and finite element simulations.

  Additive Manufacturing Letters.

  6(100150).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addlet.2023.100150

• Scheel, Pooriya; Wrobel, Rafal; Rheingans, Bastian; Mayer, Thomas; Leinenbach, Christian; Mazza, Edoardo; Hosseini, Ehsan,

  2023.

  Advancing efficiency and reliability in thermal analysis of laser powder-bed fusion.

  International Journal of Mechanical Sciences.

  260(108583).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2023.108583

• Baertsch, Florian; Ameli, Amir; Mayer, Thomas,

  2021.

  Finite-element modeling and optimization of 3D-printed auxetic reentrant structures with stiffness gradient under low-velocity impact.

  Journal of Engineering Mechanics.

  147(7).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001923

• Mayer, Thomas; Brändle, Gabriel; Schönenberger, Andreas; Eberlein, Robert,

  2020.

  Simulation and validation of residual deformations in additive manufacturing of metal parts.

  Heliyon.

  6(5), pp. e03987.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03987

• Mayer, Thomas; Friso, Francesca; Kunze, Karsten; Radis, Rene,

  2024.

  Transformation induced anisotropic thermal expansion of LPBF processed Ti-6Al-4V.

  In:

  3rd Materials Science Colloquium, Lech am Arlberg, Austria, 15-18 April 2024.

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

• Characterisation and modelling of the microstructural and mechanical evolution of a steam turbine rotor steel.
• A continuous Masing approach for a physically motivated formulation of temperature and strain rate dependent plasticity
• Parameter evolution in a continuous Masing approach for cyclic plasticity and its physical interpretation
• Dislocation density and sub-grain size evolution of 2CrMoNiWV during low cycle fatigue at elevated temperatures
• A Masing-type modelling concept for cyclic plasticity at elevated temperature
• A Masing-type modelling concept for cyclic plasticity at elevated temperature. Proc. Conf. on IUTAM Symposium on Advanced Material Modelling for Structures, Paris.
• The effect of sub-grain formation and development on cyclic response in engineering steels. Proc. Conf. on 18th European Conference on Fracture Dresden. DVM, pp. AA.02.01-O5.
• Mayer T., Davydov V., Holdsworth S. R., Lukás Strunz, P., 2010. Neutron diffraction examination of dislocation density evolution in a bainitic steel after low-cycle fatigue test at elevated temperatures. Eur. Conf. on Residual Stresses ECRS 8, Riva del Garda. Poster.

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