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Development of novel non-destructive testing techniques and integrated online process control for robotic and flexible Friction Stir Welding systems.

QUALISTIR

Project timeline
Start:
October 2001
Duration:
24 months
End:
September 2003
General Information
Actual welding techniques have a negative impact for (1) danger to operators due to presence of poisonous fumes, (2) labour intensive with certified operators, and (3) high costs due to manual work and rework. Friction Stir Welding (FSW) allows to reduce the scraps (about 15%). Moreover, lightening the weldings, it reduces all type of transport costs. FSW (invented 1999 by TWI-The Welding Institute, RD Tech partner in this project) has the potential to overcome the above mentioned limitations, but itself has still some limitations that QUALISTIR is aimed to overcome: (i) Actual in-line Non Destructive Control monitoring techniques are not able to detect "kissing" bonds, due to unmonitored fluctuation of the welding parameters or welding in adverse conditions. (ii) Actual NDT techniques are made on long-straight welds, but the application of FSW can drastically increase if the process could be carried out by a flexible multi-position friction stir welding system incorporating robots and gantries.
EU-Programme Acronym and Subprogramme AreaFP5-GROWTH-1999, Innovative products, processes and organisations
Project TypeRTD - CRAFT
Contract NumberG4ST-CT-2001-50117
Co-ordinatorRD Tech SAS (FR)
Total Eligible Costs (€) Hereon Eligible Costs (€) EC Funding for Hereon (€)
299.414
Contact Person at Hereon Dr. Jorge dos Santos, Institute for Materials Research, WMP Phone: +49-4152-87 2050, Fax : +49-4152-87 2033
E-mail contact
Worldwide Europe

Participants
TWI Ltd. (UK), Crawford Swift Ltd. (UK), Isotest S.R.L. (IT), Neos Robotics AB (SE), RD Tech SAS (FR), Vermon S. A. (FR)

(completed September 2003)

Last Update: 16. April 2021