Honorary doctorate Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr.-Ing. E. h. Hans-Dieter Steffens

August 1996

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at TU Chemnitz awarded Professor Dr.-Ing. habil. Hans-Dieter Steffens, Head of the Department of Materials Technology at the University of Dortmund, an honorary doctorate for his outstanding scientific achievements and high level of expertise in the fields of joining and surface technology in science and research.

Mr Hans-Dieter Steffens was born in Magdeburg in 1931. After graduating from high school in Magdeburg, he studied mechanical engineering at the Hanover University of Technology and graduated with a degree in engineering. His scientific career then led him via his doctorate and habilitation at the Technical University of Hanover to the management of the FhG Institute for Applied Materials Research (IFAM) in Bremen in 1969. In 1975 he then took over the chair of materials technology with a focus on joining and coating technology as well as materials engineering at the Technical University of Dortmund.

Even before the fall of the Berlin Wall and especially afterwards, Professor Steffens was dedicated to scientific cooperation with Chemnitz University of Technology and personally worked to ensure that it became a member of SFB 316, which was based at Dortmund University, and received projects for funding. Professor Steffens has shown above-average commitment to the TU Chemnitz and promoted coating and welding technology as well as materials-oriented research at an early stage.

In recognition of Professor Steffens' scientific achievements in materials technology, in particular welding and coating technology, his extremely efficient activity as a promoter and initiator of joint research in welding and coating technology, and his globally recognised engineering personality, the Chemnitz University of Technology honoured him in 1996 with the award of an honorary doctorate.

Honorary Doctorate Professor Prof. Dr. (PhD Chemistry) Dr. (DSc Physics) Dr.-Ing. E. h.
Lech Pawlowski

September 2013

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of TU Chemnitz awarded an honorary doctorate to Professor Dr (PhD Chemistry) Dr (DSc Physics) Lech Pawlowski, Head of the Institut Science et Procédés Céramiques et de Traitements de Surface, Faculté des Sciences et Technologie de l'université de Limoges, France, for his outstanding scientific achievements and high level of expertise in the fields of plasma and surface technology in science and research.

Mr Lech Pawlowski was born in 1952 in Wroclaw, Poland. After graduating from high school in Wroclaw, he studied electrical engineering at the Wroclaw University of Technology, graduating as Engineer and Magister of Electronics and obtaining a PhD in Chemistry there in 1978.

During his various stays as a visiting scientist at the Universities of Limoges in France and Stuttgart, he completed another dissertation in 1985 at the Université de Limoges (Laboratoire de Thermodynamique) in France for a DSc in physics. In 1985, he then took on tasks as a development engineer at the Haldenwanger company in Berlin. Further international research and development work followed from 1988 to 1993 at Monash University Melbourne, Australia and at the University of Trento, Italy (as an invited professor), in the field of surface technology.

In 1995, Mr Pawlowski was appointed to the University of `Artois, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Béthune in France and moved to the neighbouring university in 1999 as Professor at the Engineers' School of Chemistry of Lille. In 2010, he then took over the professorship "Surface Engineering" at the Université de Limoges (Faculté des Sciences et Techniques) in France.

At the same time, close academic cooperation with Poland, in particular with the Technical University of Wroclaw and the University of Limoges in France with the Chemnitz University of Technology was always at the forefront for him, which intensified academic relations between the three locations and countries.

From his scientific activities, Professor Pawlowski wrote a series of textbooks on thermal spraying. His books are now standard works for thermal spray technology worldwide. He was able to present his latest textbook at the 20th WTK in Chemnitz in 2018 (picture available!).

In recognition of his outstanding achievements in teaching and research in materials engineering, especially coating technology, and his support of Chemnitz University of Technology, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Chemnitz University of Technology honoured him in 2013 with the award of an honorary doctorate.

Honorary Doctor Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h.
Klaus Nassenstein

November 2024

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Chemnitz University of Technology awarded Dr Klaus Nassenstein, Managing Partner of GTV Verschleißschutz GmbH, GTV Thermal Spray Beijing in China and GTV Automotive GmbH, an honorary doctorate for his outstanding achievements in science and research and in technology transfer in the field of thermal coating technology at an academic ceremony on 6 November 2024.

Klaus Nassenstein was born on 2 May 1964 in Solingen, studied mechanical engineering in Dortmund and worked for 5 years as a research assistant at the Chair of Materials Technology at the University of Dortmund, where he received his doctorate in 1997. He has held various positions at GTV Verschleißschutz GmbH since 1 June 1996.

In addition to his role as Managing Director and shareholder of GTV, Dr Nassenstein has held honorary positions and offices in research, standardisation and standardisation both nationally and internationally for over 30 years, is a member of the board of the German Thermal Spraying Association (GTS) and was President of the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations "Otto von Guericke" e. V. (AiF) until 12 April 2024. Over the past 25 years, he has been instrumental in developing research activities at GTV. These activities initially culminated in the research centre inaugurated in 2018 and expanded in 2025, which has several laser coating cells and various facilities for analytics and diagnostics in addition to all major thermal spray processes.

The award of an honorary doctorate to Klaus Nassenstein recognises these outstanding achievements and special services to science and technology - particularly in the field of innovative wear protection using thermal spraying and laser cladding - as well as the close cooperation with Chemnitz University of Technology.

Press release on the academic ceremony for the award of an honorary doctorate:

https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/tu/pressestelle/aktuell/12676