About
The “High Integrity Joining Team” was formed in 2015 within the Institute of Structural Materials at Swansea University and is led by Dr Helen Davies with support from a Senior Post-Doctoral Research Officer and four PhD students.
Most recently, the team, have progressed the technique and application of powder interlayer bonding (PIB), a joining technique developed at the ISM. Alloys studied include Ti-64, Ti 6246, titanium aluminides and various nickel super alloys.
PIB is a novel joining technique providing high integrity joints at relatively low cost, providing opportunities to salvage and repair otherwise redundant components. The PIB technique utilises a metallic powder interlayer between the two faying surfaces, eliminating surface asperities and reducing the dependency of the bonding process on smooth surface finish. The process utilises inert gas shielding to protect the fusion zone from oxidation during bonding. Heating in the example offered in this work is provided by induction, which is an efficient method of heating metals such as titanium.