The welding research group is the largest group in the Nordic countries and aims to be both nationally and internationally recognized. The group is actively involved in both national and international projects, organizations and societies such as the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and the Swedish Production Academy (SPA) and has established active research collaborations with international partners from both academia and industry.
Needs of increased production rate and fundamental understanding of arc and laser welding are met by the research performed in the process control as well as by process simulation areas of research.
The group’s research is grouped into three main areas:
Process and Metallurgy
Process research focuses on fundamental research of welding and welding-based AM technologies to improve the understanding of microstructure, defects, and their effect on mechanical performance.
We cover the processes of:
• Friction Stir welding
• Arc and plasma processes (MIG/MAG, TIG, SAW) including Wire-arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)
• Laser processes including powder and wire Additive Manufacturing (Directed Energy Deposition)
Research is carried out on a wide range of materials from nickel-based superalloys, stainless steels including duplex stainless steels, to aluminium and titanium alloys and graded structures.
Physical Process Simulation
The area of Physical Process Simulation develops models to describe heat sources such as electric arc or laser, as well as the melt pool that can be used to predict the formation of porosity, defects, temperature, and stress gradients etc.
Process Control
The area of process control focuses on improving process parametrization and automation (sensing, monitoring, and control). Research activities are in line with industrial demands to improve system efficiency through producing components of “hard-to-weld” materials as well as tailoring components based on industrial demands using additive manufacturing methods.
