Department of Engineering

Research activity

The research interests of the Mechanical Design and Machine Construction group (IIND-03/A) encompass all aspects of the structural and functional design of machines, the monitoring of their operational functions and health status, and—crucially—the development of safety systems to ensure safe operation by users. This work involves both reviewing existing literature and developing new methods, with a focus on accelerating machine development timelines while simultaneously guaranteeing functional quality, structural integrity, and safety.

The group's expertise ranges from the static and fatigue strength of components made from metallic, plastic, or composite materials—addressed through theoretical, numerical, and experimental approaches—to related fields such as system dynamics (the study of machine behavior under dynamic loads). Furthermore, risk analysis related to safety is a key area of ​​focus, leading the group to participate in international forums that shape the regulatory frameworks of the future.

Industrial collaborations

The research group maintains numerous collaborations with companies and research institutions. The main ones are listed below:

Divisione Aerea di Sperimentazione Aeronautica e Spaziale (DASAS)
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
TEREX Corporation/GENIE
Umbria Aerospace Cluster

National and international collaboratio

Numerous Italian and foreign universities collaborate with the research group, offering students the opportunity to conduct research for their theses at their institutions. The main ones are listed below:

University of Ljubljana
Opole University of Technology
Munich University of Applied Sciences
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
INSA Rouen and INSA Lyon

Ongoing funded projects

The research group coordinates and participates in various research projects funded through competitive calls. The main ones are listed below:

 
 
 
 
 

Principal pubblications

The main publications are listed below:

IDTitlesJournal/ConferenceMetadataYear
1. Towards systematic random process representation: Bimodal PSDs characterized by bandwidth indices International Journal of Fatigue vol. 204 2026
2. Fast evaluation of central moments for non-Gaussian random loads in vibration fatigue Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing vol. 228 2025
3. Comprehensive characterization of mechanical and physical properties of PLA structures printed by FFF-3D-printing process in different directions Progress in Additive Manufacturing vol. 7(5) 2022
4. Analytical procedure for the optimization of plastic gear tooth root Mechanism and Machine Theory vol. 166 2021
5. Non-Gaussianity and non-stationarity in vibration fatigue International Journal of Fatigue vol. 97 2017

Avalaible theses

IDSubjectToolsSitePartnerReference
1. Development of tools for the modeling and structural analysis of composite material components. Python, FEM ITA (PG)   Palmieri
Cianetti
2. Development and implementation of a hardware device for the real-time monitoring and estimation of fatigue damage in vibrating mechanical systems. FEM, MBS,  ITA (PG)   Palmieri
Cianetti
3. Hardware development and implementation of instruments for the real-time estimation of motion sickness. MBS, Experimentation ITA (PG)   Palmieri
Cianetti
4. Development of a numerical model of a test rig for agricultural front loaders, aimed at optimizing control strategies. Matlab/Simulink, MBS ITA (PG) Asterisco Tech/CNH Palmieri
Cianetti
5. Development and validation of methodologies for reconstructing loads acting on mechanical systems based on experimental measurements. FEM, MBS, (Experimentation) ITA (PG) TEREX /GENIE Palmieri
Cianetti
6. Development of frequency-domain methodologies for random fatigue analysis of mechanical systems using a strain-life approach. Matlab, FEM, Experimentation ITA (PG)/FRA (Rouen) INSA Rouen Palmieri
Cianetti

Shared content

Below is a series of documents or links further illustrating the group's activities:

 
 
 
 
 

 

Components