Digital materials engineering and modelling of mass and heat flow for optimisation of joining of materials

Fusion welding processes are key enabling technologies in virtually all the exported Finnish machinery products. Therefore, simulation of welding technologies and the resulting potential improvements in productivity, materials and energy usage rate, and product life cycle costs have an extremely strong influ-ence on the national economy. This project strengthens remarkably the Finnish capabilities for modelling of modern high-productivity welding and joining processes.
The project goal is to raise the Finnish welding simulation expertise, facilities and tools to international top level at all scales and phases of the welding processes: (i) molten weld pool behaviour prediction and control, (ii) weld metallurgical and microstructural optimisation during molten stage, solidification and cool-ing, and (iii) macroscopic behaviour of the welded product or component with respect to residual stress state and/or welding deformations. The scientific aspects of welding simulation will be fostered and de-veloped further at VTT together with top national and international RTD partners. The practical production environment expertise and industrial implementation will be led by the industrial partner companies, sup-ported by VTT.
The key action to reach this goal is to establish co-operation with the top Korean technical university, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology KAIST by inviting professor Suck-Joo Na of KAIST Division of Mechanical Engineering for a visiting professorship. Prof. Na is one of the globally leading scientists in the field of process simulation of arc and laser beam welding, most notably of laser hybrid welding.