The NorFaST-HT Community was founded at the University of Oulu in cooperation with the Lund University, Luleå Technical University and SWERIM. The first project of the community, NorFast-HT, were begun in 2015 and the foundation and facilities for the NorFast-HT -community were established during the first project
Future Manufacturing Technologies -research group (FMT) from the University of Oulu has been the leading partner in the community. FMT have been responsible for management of the community projects.
FMT is a multi-disciplinary research group and it’s operation focuses on transferring the best properties of metallic materials, especially steels, as superior factors in final products, using cost-effective production methods. The research group’s activities are based on utilizing the most recent manufacturing technologies and materials in design and fabrication of lightweight and robust structures. FMT research areas cover various topics in advanced manufacturing technologies from the efficient utilization of special steels to cost-effective production automation and additive manufacturing.
In the NorFast-HT community FMT is currently focused on testing latest innovations on induction heat treatments and to develope required testing facilities for the community.
More information of the FMT group on FMT website.
The research group at Industrial Production, Lund University (LU), has been focusing on the induction technology development in the community. LU has for several years been developing new technology for rapid and energy efficient induction heating for industrial applications. This work has involved new designs for coil arrangements as well as new materials for flux concentrators. Uniform heating and surface heating has been special focus areas for the research group. The induction heating system developed at LU also allows for a direct feedback of the heating situation in the targeted material and thus potentially for a closed loop control of the temperature, but also a control of the actual structural status of target material. For the processes studied within the NorFast-HT community, this would be of great interest.
LTU has a versatile laser processing laboratory which have been used for laser hardening research during the first community project.
The metals research institute Swerim conducts needs-based industrial research and development concerning metals and their route from raw material to finished product. Swerim vision is a fossil-free and circular industry.
FMT group from Kerttu Saalasti Institute is one active research groups in CASR. As a part of larger research collaboration NorFasT-HT community benefits from multiple cooperations including cowriting of articles, using research facilities fromm multiple facilities and fast and agile sharing of new research results.
The Centre for Advanced Steels Research (CASR) was founded in 2006. CASR forms a national centre of expertise focusing on the process, physical and mechanical metallurgy, including control and information engineering and modelling. CASR covers about 100 researches located in seven research groups from three faculties of the University of Oulu and one group from the LUT University.
CASR focuses on big challenges as targeting to carbon-free steel processing and manufacturing of ultrahigh-strength steels. Multidisciplinary fundamental and advanced steel research is very valuable to Finnish metals and engineering industry, which produces nearly half of Finnish export goods. Research at CASR has enabled Finnish industry to become a global leader in the development and use of ultrahigh-strength steels.
Industrial partners in the first project (NorFaST-HT) were big steel producers SSAB Europe and Outokumpu and smaller enterprices Miilux, Swebor Stål and Olofsfors.
The second project for the NorFaST-HT Community, InTeMP, will continue cooperation with SSAB and Miilux. New industrial partners to the consortium are TL Solutions, MagComp, RAKJ, Teknikum and Recion.
The NorFaST-HT Community is an open forum for industry, and new beneficiaries are always welcome to join! Currently running InTeMP project includes industrial forum workpackage, where companies can share and obtain knowledge related to induction heat treatments and new members can join into the forum. Community is also open for new industry related project ideas and seeks industrial partners for projects constantly.
