News: Japanese deal puts TWI on track
The Welding Institute (TWI) is helping one of Japan's leading manufacturers put together new lightweight aluminium railcars.
The £18,000 deal has seen TWI partner with Nippon Sharyo, a 110 year old company based in Nagoya, to develop a high speed, low heat input, non-contact welding process.
In high speed rail transport, reducing weight whilst maintaining performance is all important. Railcar structures are often fabricated from aluminium alloy sections, which offer lightweight performance from a combination of high specific strength and stiffness.
Conventional welding techniques can lead to strength loss and distortion, compensated by the thickening of material, but this adds weight to the vehicle.
In developing a hybrid laser-MIG welding process, the partners hope to overcome these problems in a cost effective way and trials have shown that high quality welds can be made at high speeds.
The hybrid process is capable of producing high quality welds in a variety of materials and thicknesses, including steels, stainless steels, titanium alloys and nickel alloys, typically up to 10mm in thickness (depending on the laser source), as well as aluminium alloys.
The TWI Technology Centre (Yorkshire) is based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and delivers services focused on the key technologies of fibre laser processing, friction stir welding, laser direct metal deposition and cold spraying.
TWI website
Nippon Sharyo website
Rotherham
The £18,000 deal has seen TWI partner with Nippon Sharyo, a 110 year old company based in Nagoya, to develop a high speed, low heat input, non-contact welding process.
In high speed rail transport, reducing weight whilst maintaining performance is all important. Railcar structures are often fabricated from aluminium alloy sections, which offer lightweight performance from a combination of high specific strength and stiffness.
Conventional welding techniques can lead to strength loss and distortion, compensated by the thickening of material, but this adds weight to the vehicle.
In developing a hybrid laser-MIG welding process, the partners hope to overcome these problems in a cost effective way and trials have shown that high quality welds can be made at high speeds.
The hybrid process is capable of producing high quality welds in a variety of materials and thicknesses, including steels, stainless steels, titanium alloys and nickel alloys, typically up to 10mm in thickness (depending on the laser source), as well as aluminium alloys.The TWI Technology Centre (Yorkshire) is based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and delivers services focused on the key technologies of fibre laser processing, friction stir welding, laser direct metal deposition and cold spraying.
TWI website
Nippon Sharyo website
RotherhamImages: n-sharyo.co.jp / twi.co.uk
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