Project Partners
ISF - RWTH Aachen University
At the international level the Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen University) is a proven recognized location where innovative solutions to global challenges are developed. The RWTH belongs to the select few elite universities in Germany and is highly ranked at the European level as a center for high quality education. RWTH Campus Melaten is being developed in close cooperation with the industry with the goal of forming one of the largest research parks in Europe. The ISF, being one of the 260 institutes spread across nine faculties at the RWTH, is among the leading European scientific and research institutions in the field of welding and joining technology. Qualifications and experience of the partner institute and its working group in the field of friction stir welding and especially in the field of implementing a conductive current, namely Resistance Heated Stir Welding, adds critical value for cooperation between the partners.
WZL - RWTH Aachen University
The Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) at RWTH Aachen University was founded in 1906 and is one of the largest and most productive university institutes of its kind in Europe. The principal goal of the WZL is to handle all fields encompassed by production technology at one institute. This results in a wide field of activity: research and development, design, quality, management, organization, production, planning, manufacturing and assembly. Due to a close connection to industry, companies directly profit from the results and experience of the projects. The WZL of the RWTH Aachen works in the fields of process technology, controls and machine tool design. A sound background of industrial and research experience is provided to successfully work on the project's objectives.
CEWAC (Centre d'Etudes Wallon d'Assemblage et du Contrôle des matériaux)
CEWAC is a non-profit Walloon research center performing services, studies and research for companies, especially for SMEs. It assists companies in the development of technological demonstrators and/or industrial prototypes going up to the realization of pilot lots. It laboratories develop many activities and most of their tests (welding & destructive & non-destructive testing laboratory) are covered by the ISO 17025 accreditation. CEWAC is a research center agreed by the Walloon Region and the Belgian federal government what allows it to participate in many research projects co-financed by public powers. Several projects, both on a national and European level, concerning friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminum alloys but also high melting point materials have been performed. Thanks to previous research and industrial projects, CEWAC has acquired experience and skills in the field of tool materials and tooling development for FSW of steels, titanium, etc. as well as expertise concerning industrialization with the associated quality control in general.
EFB - European Research Association for Sheet Metal Working
The European Research Association for Sheet Metal Working (EFB) is the sector platform to initiate and promote innovation for the sheet metal processing industry. Since its foundation in the year 1949 EFB is initiating and organising pre-competitive collective research projects as a core activity in order to generate know-how particularly for the SME users of the respective industry. EFB works independently as a non-profit association to bring in touch companies, particularly SMEs, from all sectors of the technology chain with universities and research institutes in order to exploit synergies. The basic goal is to provide users with relevant solutions and results and enable a rapid implementation in the industry. Companies from the entire technology chain of the sheet metal processing industry are members of the EFB and work together with approximately 60 research performers in projects. EFB currently manages approximately 150 research projects with more than 60 research institutes.
