V International Scientific and Practical Conference on Aluminium Welding

On October 19, the Central Exhibition Complex "Expocentre" hosted the V International Scientific and Practical Conference "New in Welding and Hard Surfacing in the Production of Products from Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys" organised by the Aluminium Association. The conference, boasting the participation of representatives of Austria and Germany, was held within Russian Industrial Week at the site of the International Specialised Equipment Exhibition, "Technologies and Materials for Welding and Cutting Processes" (RusWeld 2021). The event was held with the support and participation of UC RUSAL, ILM&T, Arconic SMZ, NP APRAL and Expocentre. The online broadcast of the conference was provided by LLC Avial and CJSC Sespel Cheboksary.

The goal of the conference is to promote deep processing of aluminium and expand the uses of high-tech aluminium products in the aircraft, shipbuilding and automotive industries, transport machine engineering and construction.

In his welcoming speech to the conference participants, Artem Asatur, Co-Chair of the Aluminium Association, emphasised that the development of competencies in the field of welding is one of the most important tasks for a number of sectors of the national economy. For this purpose, the Aluminium Association is actively involved in the development of standards for friction stir welding and the creation of regional centres of competency in the field of welding. The Association pays special attention to this area, as it opens up broad prospects for applying aluminium solutions in industry.

 

 

Elena Asanova, Head of Market Relations at the Aluminium Association, presented an overview of the Association's activities and recalled that the first centre of competency in aluminium welding was created in 2017 with the support of the Government of the Republic of Chuvashia based on the I. Ulyanov Chuvash State University and CJSC Sespel Cheboksary. As part of the development of deep aluminium processing and expansion of its application for the aviation, shipbuilding, automotive, transport, energy, oil and gas engineering and construction industries, the Aluminium Association pays close attention to the development of competencies and technologies for aluminium processing. Expanding the application of aluminium as a high-tech, energy-efficient material with unique consumer properties is especially important in light of the green transition of the global economy. The Association initiated the implementation of the aluminium industry development plan for 2018–2023, as well as the Action Plan to stimulate demand for products of the aluminium industry for 2020–2023.

At the conference, an open dialogue took place between manufacturers and customers of equipment, scientific and educational organisations, as well as consumers of technologies and materials. The participants discussed the properties of welded joints of alloy sheets and plates made by friction stir welding, advanced digital technologies for assessing the weldability of aluminium alloys, new technologies for welding light alloys, personnel training prospects and much more.

 

 

The presentation of a representative of the Institute of Light Materials and Technologies (ILM&T) was of particular interest. He spoke about the findings of the Institute in the field of corrosion resistance of welded joints made of new aluminium alloys for building structures. For bridge structures, alloys 1915 and AD35 are traditionally used, which are prone to intercrystalline corrosion; therefore, RUSAL developed two alloys with improved characteristics – AD35ch and 1939.

During the conference, reports were also presented by representatives of JSC Arconic SMZ, Scientific & Training Centre "Welding and Control" at the Bauman MGTU, LLC Avial, Sespel Cheboksary Company, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, LLC C 7 Space Transport Systems, LLC TENA, EWF Management, etc.

The participants agreed that holding such events is an important step forward towards the development of high-tech industries, familiarising a wide range of specialists with innovative technologies, equipment and materials based on aluminium and increasing the volume and geography of aluminium welding.

The materials of the V International Scientific and Practical Conference on Aluminium Welding are available at the website of the Aluminium Association aluminas.ru, as well as in the October issue of the Aluminium Newsletter.

FACT SHEET
The aluminium welding conference has been held for the fifth time with consistent success within the professional community. The seminars on aluminium welding from 2017 to 2021 were attended by over 450 representatives from 96 manufacturing companies, research centres and industry unions, whose activities are aimed at developing competencies in welding aluminium semi-finished products. The aluminium welding conference is a unique open platform for discussing market trends, reviewing innovative technologies and creative solutions in the field of aluminium welding processes. It is a format of open dialogue between manufacturers and customers of materials and equipment, scientific and educational organisations and consumers of technologies and materials.