Assessing Technology Needs

by Chris Conrardy, EWI Vice President of Technology and Innovation

EWI’s Industry Advisory Board (IAB) is an invaluable resource for identifying industry needs and challenges. Working closely with them we are able to better target our investments in advancing EWI’s capabilities. In recent IAB meetings we engaged in professionally facilitated discussions of future needs and challenges in materials joining. Following are the nine focus areas that emerged.

Joining of High-Performance Materials – Many applications are pushing performance requirements: low-temperature toughness for arctic pipelines, high-temperature creep resistance for power-generation equipment, high-strength for vehicle light-weighting, improved corrosion and erosion resistance for bio-fuel processing, increased fatigue life in heavy equipment, etc. To meet these demands, virtually every industry is introducing different materials, such as high-strength steels, corrosion resistant alloys, titanium alloys, high-strength aluminum, and composites. Use of new materials and increased performance requirements challenge manufacturers to preserve material properties while implementing more economically attractive joining techniques. EWI is developing a range of techniques for joining high performance materials while preserving material properties. Examples include advanced friction stir welding techniques to weld such diverse materials as titanium alloys; thick-section aluminum; high-strength steels; and nano-composite materials. EWI is also developing new capabilities to characterize weld suitability for an intended application and has invested in a range of test equipment to assess the suitability (e.g., weldability, mechanical properties, etc.) of specific materials for particular applications.

Joining Dissimilar Materials – Joining of dissimilar material combinations is a growing trend to optimize cost and performance. A survey of 93 respondents across five industry sectors identified 38 challenging combinations of dissimilar metal alloys, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Needs varied widely by industry. Energy and chemical participants often cited corrosion resistant claddings. Joining various combinations of aluminum, magnesium, and steel is of most interest in the auto industry. Medical products companies mentioned combinations of stainless steel, titanium, nickel, platinum, and polymers. From both a cost and performance perspective, all of these applications pose challenges to implementation. EWI is investigating a range of methods for joining dissimilar material combinations, such as ultrasonic soldering and brazing methods for joining metals to ceramics. Solid-state welding processes, such as magnetic pulse welding, are also being used to join a variety of metal alloy combinations.

High-Productivity, High-Reliability Joining Processes – The need to reduce manufacturing costs, join new materials, and improve quality is driving the need for improved high-productivity, high-reliability joining processes. The needs are as diverse as the applications themselves. Fortunately, many recent joining process developments meet these needs. Ultra-high-speed laser welding of sheet steels for fuel cell components has achieved welding speeds in excess of 1 meter per second. Narrow-groove tandem GMAW is being developed to weld thick section plates at deposition rates of 10 Kg per hour with a minimum of weld volume. Tandem GMAW and deformation resistance welding are other processes that show significant possibilities.

Real-Time Quality Monitoring – Cost of quality is becoming more critical as margins are squeezed by global competition and as liability exposure increases. Improved means of ensuring first-time weld quality are needed across many industry sectors. EWI is working on multi-sensor data fusion for real-time monitoring of laser and arc welding processes to assess weld quality as a weld is being produced. Other examples of quality monitoring include new GMAW process monitoring approaches that combine conventional monitoring of arc welding process parameters with real-time measurement of weld bead shape.

Welder Training Tools – The persistent shortage of skilled welders is an ever-increasing challenge for manufacturers and fabricators. Consequently, improved tools are needed to train welders more quickly and cost-effectively. EWI is investigating innovative methods for arc welder training. Virtual reality training creates a simulated immersive environment in which students learn basic torch manipulation skills without actually striking an arc. Real-time torch motion sensing that will provide in-helmet feedback so welders learn proper technique more quickly is also under development.

Additive Manufacturing – As commodity prices rise, materials cost has become the single biggest cost component in many products. Additionally, global demand has dramatically increased lead times for many metal alloys. At a recent EWI stainless steel welding conference, 65% of surveyed attendees mentioned cost and sourcing as primary concerns. For some applications, additive manufacturing is one potential means to reduce material usage by building near-net shape components with minimal material waste. EWI has invested in a range of additive manufacturing capabilities, including precision GMAW deposition; laser additive manufacturing; and ultrasonic additive manufacturing.

Life Extension and Repair – Extending the useful life of structures such as power generation equipment, bridges, airframes, aircraft engines, mining equipment, ships, and military vehicles is a major theme in many industry sectors. EWI has developed a broad portfolio of repair technologies, including rapid repair of holes in titanium, aluminum, and other alloys using resistance welding equipment. EWI has also investigated a range of low-heat-input material deposition techniques to build-up worn areas for low-power laser, electro-spark, and micro-arc processes.

Predictive Computer Modeling – Numerical modeling uses computer software to simulate joining processes or performance of joints under various loading conditions. Modeling can reduce product development time and the cost of adopting new joining technologies. EWI's on-line tools allow users to perform welding simulations over the Internet. Using the “Virtual Joining Portal” manufacturers can simulate welding procedures for particular applications, saving some of the costs required for developing new applications. Tools for prediction of heat-flow, distortion, microstructure, and performance of welded structures under different loading conditions are also available.

More Accurate and Reliable NDE – For some applications, current non-destructive examination (NDE) methods are not capable of detecting and measuring critical flaws with a sufficiently high degree of confidence. EWI is developing matrix phased array ultrasonic examination and array eddy current techniques for more accurate characterization of subsurface and surface flaws, respectively. These techniques are portable, can be automated, and can generate accurate three-dimensional maps of defects.

Developing responses to these challenges is the focus of EWI’s Cooperative Research Program. I invite you to contact me at to discuss any of these areas further.