TWI Annual Review - July 2008

Achievements in 2007

• Installation of 1000bar hydrogen testing facility to support automotive sector requirements for materials testing related to hydrogen storage and materials validation.
• Successful sector panel meeting held in conjunction with the electronics sector focusing on electronic reliability and joining technologies entitled 'Driving Electronic Performance'.
• Green Day event focusing on the main areas where materials and joining play a significant role in product development and how TWI is helping its Members reduce carbon emissions.
• The provision of world-class motor sport performance engineering-related innovative engineering support and product development.
• Significant growth in the application of functional coatings using both thermal and cold spray facilities at TWI.
• Involvement in a range of new collaborative proposals in the areas of in-service inspection of composite high pressure hydrogen storage tanks for automotive applications and the development of a hand-held friction stir spot welding device for thin sheet joining.

Future Plans

• Increased technical support related to low carbon vehicle applications such as advanced energy storage solutions, hybrid vehicle power electronics and materials performance for alternatively fuelled vehicles.
• Two sector panel meetings to be held in 2008, one focused on advanced manufacturing for high performance engineering and the other related to low carbon vehicle technologies.
• Project and proposal development for the Technology Strategy Board and Framework 7 collaborative calls for advanced materials in surface transport in areas such as nanotechnologies, hydrogen power and energy storage.
• Supporting the sector's increasing need for multi-material systems joining process development, rapid prototyping and validation for light weight structures in chassis and power train.

Case Study The performance engineering sector of the UK has always been personified by the high performance technologies applied to Formula One motor racing where the structural performance of components is critical to racing success. TWI has been involved with supporting the materials validation, inspection and joining requirements for several race teams over the years, and 2007 has seen an increase in the volume of R&D support provided to this sector. One recent example where TWI has provided support is in the application of its advanced electron beam welding technologies. This particular example related to the fabrication of small pressure vessels manufactured from thin wall titanium. The EB process was used to weld two dome ends to these assemblies. The thin walls of the structure and the predicted in-service conditions meant that the highest degree of quality and joint integrity was required. Due to the range of specialised equipment and staff on hand, TWI was able to provide a specific technical solution for the fabrication of these critical components which were raced on Formula One cars during the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship.