Internship - Development of a CFD Workflow for Thermal Simulation of Machine Tools

Thermal effects are a major source of geometric errors in modern machine tools. Accurate prediction of temperature fields inside machine structures is therefore essential for improving machining accuracy and enabling thermal compensation strategies. However, reliable thermal simulations of complex machine assemblies remain challenging due to the interaction of heat conduction in solids and convective heat transfer with the surrounding air.

Within our research group at ETH Zurich, we are developing computational workflows for predicting temperature fields in machine tools using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and conjugate heat transfer simulations. The goal is to establish a robust simulation pipeline that converts CAD geometries of complex machine assemblies into simulation-ready meshes and enables accurate thermal simulations using open-source tools.

We are currently seeking a motivated intern to support this work at ETH Zurich (Technopark Zurich), starting immediately or by mutual agreement.

• Familiarization with conjugate heat transfer simulations and thermal modeling of machine tools
• Development of a workflow for converting CAD assemblies into CFD-ready meshes
• Implementation of CFD simulations for natural and forced convection using open-source tools (e.g. OpenFOAM)
• Support in experimental temperature measurements on a thermal testbench and machine tools for validation
• Comparison of simulation results with experimental measurements
• Contribution to scientific writing if the results are promising

• You are studying mechanical engineering, physics, computational science or a related engineering discipline
• You have a solid foundation in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, or numerical simulation
• Experience with CFD tools, Python, or meshing software is an advantage but not required
• You demonstrate a structured and independent working style and an interest in applied research

• Training opportunities
• Perspectives for career development
• Support programmes (e.g. mentoring) and networks
• Your (team) culture and team composition
• Working environment and employment conditions
• Your commitment to diversity (e.g. flexible working hours, possibility for part-time work, home office)

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• CV
• Transcript of records
• Etc.

Further information about AMLZ can be found on our website .
Questions regarding the position should be directed to Sebastian Lang, Write an email (no applications).

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.