Francesca Maria Cura'

Francesca Maria Cura' is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS) at Polytechnic University of Turin and a Member of the Interdepartmental Center J-Tech@PoliTO, contributing to interdisciplinary research initiatives.

Her research focuses on mechanical design and material science with particular emphasis on:

• Grooved couplings
• Material fatigue
• Graphene greases
• Lightened gears
• Non-destructive methods
• Thermography
• Gear transmissions

Professor Cura's recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory toward integrating thermographic analysis with machine learning for material evaluation, particularly in gear systems and welded joints. Her work shows increasing sophistication in using infrared thermography for residual stress identification and fatigue analysis, with applications spanning traditional mechanical components to advanced materials. The research combines experimental methods with computational approaches to develop more efficient non-destructive testing methodologies.

She received the Start Cup Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta award in 2024, recognizing her contributions to engineering innovation.

Professor Cura' has mentored doctoral students Luca Santoro, Luca Corsaro, and Edoardo Goti. Her research portfolio includes significant projects like RILEnergy (2023-2024) for forest resource valorization for energy efficiency, and the development of active thermography methodology for measuring residual stresses (2023-2024).

She leads research in the 'Progettazione e sperimentazione di organi di trasmissione e termografia' (Design and testing of transmission components and thermography) group at DIMEAS, focusing on innovative thermographic techniques for mechanical component analysis and quality control.