Objetivo Objectives and content Aluminium alloys have many useful properties which are exploited widely in industry. Their main attribute is the high strength to weight ratio which allows major reductions in operating costs in transport systems. Other useful properties which the materials possess are high corrosion resistance leading to their use in products such as door and window frames and their high thermal conductivity making them suitable for applications such as heat exchangers. The major barrier to the more widespread utilisation of aluminium alloys is their low weldability which means that mostly mechanical fastening methods have to be used or joints using weldments have to be substantially reinforced incurring a weight penalty. Consequently, the main objective of this project is to improve welding technology of aluminium to a level to enable it to be used in place of current mechanical fastening methods, or to improve the performance of current weldments and allow a weight reduction. To achieve this the partners will investigate two new welding techniques, a novel pretreatment process and two process stabilisation methods. These can be summarised as: - New welding techniques, - Deep conduction welding using a high average power CO2 TEA laser. - High average power combined cw+ shaped pulse Nd-YAG laser welding. - Laser deoxidation for both TIG welding and Nd-YAG welding - Process stabilisation techniques. - Keyhole stabilisation for Nd-YAG welding. - Very low power laser stabilised TIG welding. These techniques will be supported by optimised joint designs and theoretical modelling for deformation prediction. The expected achievements of the project will be industrial realisation of the new process(es) by applying them to the following industrial components, - air conditioning and electrical services ducts within a railway carriage, - aircraft fuselage stiffened panel, - air conditioning pipe for aerospace applications, - secondary structural wing component (shroud box). The impact of welding for these components will be a significant weight reduction (typically 15%) and considerable savings in manufacturing costs. The consortium comprises three industrial users and developers of the technology (British Aerospace, Aerospatiale and Fiat), a specialised laser research institute (IREPA), a laser manufacturer (Quantel) and two universities (Lappeenranta and Essex). Ámbito científico engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraftnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metalsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics Programa(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Tema(s) 0101 - Incorporation of new technologies into production systems Convocatoria de propuestas Data not available Régimen de financiación CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinador BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LTD Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 267,FPC 267 BS35 7QW BRISTOL Reino Unido Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Participantes (6) Ordenar alfabéticamente Ordenar por aportación de la UE Ampliar todo Contraer todo AEROSPATIALE MATRA SA Francia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Rue Pasteur 92152 Suresnes Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Centro Ricerche Fiat ScpA Italia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Strada Torino 50 10043 Orbassano Torino Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos INSTITUT REGIONAL DE PROMOTION DE LA RECHERCHE APPLIQUEE - IREPA Francia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 4,Rue Hoezel 4 Parc d'Innovation 67400 ILLKIRCH GRAFFENSTADEN Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Lappeenrannan Teknillinen Korkeakoulu Finlandia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 53851 Lappeenranta Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Quantel SA Francia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 17,Avenue de l'Atlantique 17 91941 Les Ulis Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos University of Essex Reino Unido Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Wivenhoe Park CO4 3SQ Colchester Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos