The Center for Friction Stir Processing
From Center for Friction Stir Processing Guide
“The National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) program develops long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. The centers are catalyzed by a small investment from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and are primarily supported by industry center members, with NSF taking a supporting role in their development and evolution. Each center is established to conduct research that is of interest to both the industry and the center. An IUCRC contributes to the Nation's research infrastructure base and enhances the intellectual capacity of the engineering and science workforce through the integration of research and education.” [NSF Program Solicitation NSF 01-116] The Center for Friction Stir Processing (CFSP) is a multi-university Industry/University Collaborative Research Center (IUCRC ) established in 2004 with a collaborative research partnership between the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT), University of South Carolina (USC), and, the Brigham Young University (BYU). The University of Missouri – Rolla (UMR) was added as a university site in 2005 and Wichita State University (WSU) was added in 2007. Over 25 industry and government sponsors from five countries represent the current membership and provide funding for the research programs.
Gray and Walters have detailed the functional requirements of successful single and multi-university IUCRC and make specific recommendations for center policies, procedures and practices (P3) which have shown proven results. In implementing these methods of Gray and Walters, the CFSP recognized several unique challenges to ensure meeting the administrative and management needs of the university sites, industrial sponsors, and NSF. To address these, a series of formal management tools have been instituted at the CFSP. Collectively, these are referred to as the Center Policies, Procedures, and Practices (P3). While the (P3) has shown to provide an effective management strategy for a multi-university IUCRC, the CFSP is continually implementing improvements to incorporate more “Paperless Management” tools. Gray and Walters state that a successful IUCRC must first establish a vision; a mission statement; and, a list of objectives. The vision is the statement of purpose for the center – its reason for being, and how it hopes to impact the future.
“The vision, an idea of a possible future to achieve, is probably the most important ingredient in a successful strategy” [Gray and Walters, pg. 119]
The mission statement defines the goals for the center in broad terms. Gray and Walters note that the mission statement should contain four elements: who, what, means, and participants. The objectives are process-oriented and measurable, defining how the center will achieve the goals set forth in the mission statement. For the CFSP, each of the defining statements about the center was developed collectively with the university site partners of the center. During the planning grant phase of the program, a meeting of over 30 prospective industrial members representing the leading industrial researchers in the FSP field was convened to define an initial listing of focused research topics. These topics represent the industry perceived gaps in the science and technology acting as barriers to more extensive industrial application of the technology. To define a comprehensive vision, mission, and objectives, the partner universities and potential industrial partners were identified very early in the planning grant process. Although the vision statement; mission statement; and, a list of research objectives form the foundation of the center, they are not static and should be reviewed and revised by the Site Universities and Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) as the technology advances and the industrial membership needs change.
Contents |
CFSP Vision
The Center for Friction Stir Processing (CFSP) vision is to provide the forum for industry/university cooperative research on the further development, validation, and industrial implementation of the emerging solid-state materials joining and processing technologies known as Friction Stir Welding (FSW) and Friction Stir Processing (FSP).
CFSP I/UCRC Mission Statement
The Mission of the NSF Center for Friction Stir Processing is:
- To advance, develop and promote research into the principles and technology of Friction Stir Processing science and engineering through research, development, education, and technology exchange among academic, industry, and government entities;
- To increase the quantity and quality of the professionals prepared to work in the area;
- To involve the faculty of the University(s) in research in areas of common interest to Sponsors and the University(s);
- To perform research that will allow global Friction Stir Processing facilities to be competitive in the world economy
CFSP Research Objectives
The overall objective of the Center is to develop and deliver relevant scientific knowledge that will help its industrial members with future challenges. Center programs are designed to complement the members’ in-house research and development in the area of friction stir processing by bringing together theoretical, experimental and application experts from industry and academia. The specific objectives focused on the following:
- Friction Stir Joining: Process optimization (parameters, pin tool materials, pin tool designs); process modeling (thermal, forces, metal flow, residual stress, distortion, microstructure evolution); microstructural characterizations; property characterizations (tensile, fatigue, fracture, creep, corrosion); nondestructive evaluations; new alloy development.
- Friction Stir Microstructural Modification: Induced superplasticity; grain refinement; sub-micron and nano particle injection; defect removal.
- Friction Stir Post –Processing: Heat treatment; forming (stretch, spin, age, and creep); machining; finishing.
- Friction Stir Structural Designs and Applications: replacement of fusion welds and rivets; static and dynamic response of structures; efficient design and analysis methodologies.
- Friction Stir Intelligent Controllers and Efficient Tooling: Process sensors; logic-based controllers; reconfigurable tooling.
- Friction Stir Cost Benefits Analysis: Business case development and environmental impact assessments.
During the Planning Grant process of the CFSP, each potential industry sponsor identified focused research directions for the center that fit into their research resources. The university members then discussed their capabilities – equipment, availability of faculty with desired expertise, external relationships that could be explored – and the group found the optimal match between research initiatives and university capabilities at each site. Programs were then developed along the lines of the identified focused research areas at each site.
Center Structure
Overall Center Structure
There are several possible models for overall structure of an I/UCRC. One model is for sponsors to fund the center as a whole. The model chosen by the CFSP is for sponsors to fund particular sites. This way, a sponsor can attach itself more closely to particular projects at a particular site. A sponsor does have the option of having multiple memberships at several sites if it is willing to provide funding for each membership.
