Launch of New TWI Core Research Programme Projects

TWI’s Core Research Programme (CRP) is designed to meet the needs of our Industrial Member companies and address their most significant technology challenges.  It follows a project based approach to provide tailored solutions to emerging technical and operational needs, funded by 50% of our Industrial Members' annual subscriptions.

Each year TWI’s Research Board selects new projects that have been identified as being of critical interest to our Industrial Members, focused on materials, joining, manufacturing and engineering processes.  The projects are led by dedicated teams of TWI experts, supported by mentors from industry, harnessing innovative thinking and approaches.

For 2023, the projects selected by the Research Board are grouped into three themes:

Digitalisation, Data and Digital Twin

• Development of Digital Twin Technology as a Demonstrator for Real-Time Integrity Assessment of Crack Growth in Tensile Specimens
• Integrating Probabilistic Approach into British Defect Assessment Procedure
• CAM DED – A Review of Directed Energy Deposition Cam Tools to Help Industrial Decision Making
• In-process Detection and Non-Destructive Testing of Electron Beam Weld Imperfections
• Development of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Technology for Pressure Containing Pipelines Using Guided Waves and Acoustic Emission

Net-Zero, Hydrogen and Low Carbon Technologies

• Long Term Behaviour of Polymeric Liner Materials/Coatings in Hydrogen Service
• Internal Bore Coatings for Applications in Corrosion and Hydrogen Environments
• Enhanced Understanding of Degradation Environments that Develop at Metal/Non-Metal Interfaces for CCS Environments

Smart Manufacturing

• Automated Quality Control of Wire Arc DED Build for Smart Manufacturing 
• ReMOV - Support Optimisation Design in Laser Powder Bed Fusion Systems for Fast ReMOVal and Zero-Defect Components

At the end of each project, in-depth reports are published exclusively for TWI Industrial Members.  The reports grow TWI’s already extensive knowledge-base and help maximise benefit, cost effectiveness and tangible operating impact for our Industrial Members.

In addition, the CRP will also be funding three new PhDs at the National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC).  Through these PhDs, TWI will gain fundamental knowledge to underpin future CRP research. The research topics selected for 2023 are:

• Understanding of the Effect and Mechanism of Hydrogen on Fatigue Performance of Pipeline Welded Joints
• Development of a System for Automatic Defect Recognition from Ultrasonic Data
• Control methods to improve overlay coatings consistency and performance

Tat-Hean Gan, Director of Membership and Innovation said “The Core Research Programme addresses the emerging needs of TWI Industrial Members by facilitating a rolling programme of technology based projects. It utilises both PhDs to take on research ranging from TRLs 1 to 5, to expand the knowledge, test technical implementation of technologies and develop novel techniques, while TWI experts work on industrial projects focusing on TRLs 5 to 9, producing industry-relevant research that our Member companies can use to implement cost-effective solutions, and improve standards, operations, systems and working conditions for engineers and employees.”

Visit our dedicated website to learn more about the Core Research Programme.