AUSTRONG
The AUSTRONG consortium includes one industrial partner, two industrial research institutions and one university. The industrial partner (ACERINOX EUROPA) is one of the largest European producers of stainless steel, also having a long history of involvement in RFCS projects. The industrial research institution is Rina Consulting- CSM SPA, which has a wide experience in processing of stainless steels and alloy design. The academic partners include UOULU and TUBAF, which are world class leaders in steel physical metallurgy research and metal processing optimisation.
Rina Consulting - Centro Sviluppo Materiali SPA (CSM SPA): CSM SPA (coordinator of this project) is a private company and leading centre for applied research founded in 1963 and located in Italy with headquarters in Rome. Its R&D activities mainly focus on the modelling and design of materials and products, the development of innovative pilot plants and reduction of environmental impact. In particular, CSM SPA has extensive experience on high temperature materials and on their analysis methodologies and testing. CSM SPA has also a large experience in the coordination of EU funded projects.
Lead Person: Dr. Ali Smith (QPINOX project coordinator) is a Senior Engineer at CSM SpA, working within the group Materials for Severe Applications.
ACERINOX EUROPA SA: Since it was founded in 1970, ACERINOX EUROPA has launched into operation one of the most complete and up-to-date industrial works in the world for stainless steel products. Acerinox Europa S.A., the Palmones – Los Barrios factory has 2280 employees of whom 82 participate in the R&D Activities. In March 2020, Acerinox completed the purchase of VDM Metals, thus becoming the Group’s newest company. VDM Metals is a global leader in the development and manufacture of special alloys and high performance stainless steels, being recognised as a benchmark for R&D&I in the sector.
Lead Person: Marta Muratori is a Metallurgical Researcher at the Los Barrios company site.
The investigations at TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TU BAF) will take place in the Department of Materials Science and Technology at the Institute of Metal Forming led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Prahl. The research group is engaged in practice orientated research work in the field of hot and cold deformation of metals. At the institute the complete process chain from melting and casting, reheating, roughing to finish rolling and cooling in practice related conditions can be realized, incl. direct rolling.
Lead Person: Dipl.-Ing. Frank Hoffmann
The investigations at the University of Oulu (UOULU) will take place at the Materials and Mechanical Engineering unit, Faculty of Technology led by Adjunct Prof. Mahesh Somani with peer support and resources from the Head of the Research Group, Prof. Jukka Kömi and Prof. (Emer.) L. Pentti Karjalainen. The unit has vast experience of conducting physical simulation and modelling of the constitutive flow of metals under thermomechanical processing conditions and has pioneered the fields of stress relaxation, single- and double-hit compression.
Lead Person: Adjunct Prof. Mahesh Somani