Wed, 27 March, 2019
Having already signed a Memorandum of Understanding, TWI and ALFED are continuing to work closely together to promote aluminium for industry.
Aluminium use has seen growth in the automotive industry as well as in architecture, while the rail industry is also set to follow with increased use of the material too. Meanwhile, the aerospace industry continues to embrace aluminium for properties including corrosion resistance, recyclability and its strength-to-weight ratio.
However, there remain some challenges that TWI and ALFED hope to address, including retaining the material strength of aluminium after joining.
Plus, with the Automotive Council Roadmap requiring high tensile aluminium, there is a need for support from joining and materials experts to assist with fabrication.
There are also considerations around the environmental impact of aluminium production and use, and it is in the area of recycling that this material can be seen to offer real benefits.
If managed correctly, aluminium can be recycled carbon neutrally as it takes just 5% of the energy required to produce new aluminium to recycle existing materials.
However, there is a need for expertise in how joining may impact this recyclability, which TWI and ALFED plan to provide through our partnership.
Aside from research and development, ALFED and TWI are planning to provide training to realise the benefits of aluminium for industry, while TWI Members are now welcome to attend ALFED member events.
In addition, TWI and ALFED are to hold joint events, with the first of which having taken place at TWI’s headquarters in Cambridge on 27th March, 2019.
We will provide more information on TWI’s work with ALFED, including the creation of a dedicated webpage which will provide a doorway to the technology.
In the meantime, you can find out more about aluminium expertise at TWI here and visit ALFED’s website.