The Welding Institute (TWI; Cambridge, England) has entered into a research center agreement with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Manufacturing Technology Institute (MTI), which specializes in aeronautical research in China. The AVIC Centre for Materials Joining and Surface Engineering was officially opened on September 18, 2017, when a high-ranking AVIC delegation, led by Dr. Xin Guo Zhang, executive vice president of AVIC, visited TWI in Cambridge.
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A number of AVIC group companies will join the five-year agreement, including AVIC MTI, AVIC Composite Corporation, AVIC Institute for Special Structures of Aeronautical Composites, and AVIC Beijing Precision Engineering Institute Aircraft Industry. TWI and AVIC MTI will develop a research-based collaboration to conduct research in civil aeronautical engineering, explore mutual areas of interest, and disseminate scientific information. TWI and AVIC MTI will also explore external funding for joint activities both in China and the UK, as well as across Europe.
The partnership, according to TWI CEO Christoph Wiesner, will focus on generic near-market materials and manufacturing technology development, as well as technology transfer. Initial research topics include friction stir welding, arc welding, and laser welding of aerospace alloys. There will also be research into cold spray coating, repair, and additive manufacturing for aerospace components, and lightning strike protection of polymer composite structures.
The agreement will also see staff being seconded from AVIC MTI to TWI, while regular seminars will facilitate the promotion and sharing of information between TWI and AVIC MTI.
For more information, please visit www.twi-global.com.