The 10th Anniversary of Laser Processing Laboratory Held in SJTU

The Laser Processing Laboratory of Shanghai Jiao Tong University celebrated its 10th anniversary in January, 2016. Guests attending the event included: Ms. Johanna Wanka, Minister of Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, Mr. Wan Gang, Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Mr. Peter Rothen, German Consul General in Shanghai, Mr. Shou Ziqi, Director-General of Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, and Mr. Chen Jiachang, Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology of China. Professor Zhang Jie, President of SJTU, and Professor Lin Zhongqin, Vice President of SJTU also attended the event. The celebration was presided over by Professor Huang Zhen, Vice President of SJTU.

In 2004, the Sino-German collaboration project on the optics technique, CHINLAS, was signed under the witness of both the German Chancellor and the Chinese Premier. After that, with the strong support from the governments and industries of both countries, the project CHINLAS started and the Laser Processing Lab was founded in 2006. At the end of 2007, the project CHIINLAS was finished successfully and its achievements laid the foundation for the application of the laser welding technology in Chinese shipbuilding industry. In 2009, the Lab was granted the title of Shanghai Key and Modification by Shanghai Municipal Science and Technololgy Commission. In the same year, it was designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology as the International Collaboration Base. From then on, the Laser Processing Lab stepped into the stage of rapid development.

The Laser Processing Lab has carried out more than 300 projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation, Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, as well as many large-scale manufacturing coorporations. It has won 27 national, provincial or ministerial awards of invention and technology progress. More than 30 invention patents were granted and over 300 research papers published.

President Zhang delivered a welcoming address. He pointed out that "the Laser Processing Lab is a fruitful result of international collaboration between Chinese government and German government, as well as a paragon of scientific and technological collaboration. Under the strong support from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, a series of achievements have been made in the fields of laser welding and laser cladding." He believed that under the joint efforts of both Chinese and German sides, Laser Processing Lab of Shanghai Jiao Tong University would continue to prosper and make even greater contributions.

Mr. Harald Kohn, Visiting professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and senior researcher of Bremen Laser Application Institute, briefly reviewed the history of Sino-German collaboration on laser application. Mr. Huang Jian, Vice Director of the Laser Processing Lab, introduced the current status of the Lab and joint research projects. Both pointed out that the close collaboration between China and Germany had greatly promoted the development of the laboratory and provided a common platform for both countries to apply advanced laser technology in industries.

Ms. Johanna Wanka spoke highly of the achievements made by the Laser Processing Lab in the past ten years. She praised it as a flagship of two countries in the field of high technology collaboration. She said that "on a global scale, the potential and importance of laser processing has been growing rapidly. The goal of the Lab is to nurture personnel, develop new technology and promote joint research in the field of laser processing. In the past ten years, the continuous progress made by researchers from both China and Germany has fulfilled and exceeded the expectations." Ms. Wanka sincerely wished the Lab to always remain innovative and create a brighter future.

In his speech, Mr. Wan Gang thanked researchers of the Lab for their persistent efforts and continuous innovation. He pointed out that "SJTU is one of the leading universities in China with many academic disciplines ranking top in China. After many years of exploration, the Laser Processing Lab has been developed based on the international collaboration project. The Sino-German collaboration which involve related universities, research institutes and industries, has facilitated the application of scientific research." He wished the laboratory to create more brilliant achievements in the future.

All the guests took a lab tour and watched laser welding demo with great interest. With the novel technology of laser welding developed by the Laser Processing Lab, the large-scale sandwich structures were produced successfully. The sandwich plates can be used in ship deck, bulkhead, superstructure and other structures of ships. It can significantly reduce the ship weight and size, as well as manufacturing costs. The Lab has also made outstanding achievements in the field of laser welding for thick shipbuilding steel plates. After the hybrid welding presentation of T joint with fiber laser and MIG arc, guests and researchers conducted an in-depth discussion. Compared with the welding method of single heat source, the hybrid welding not only has the capability of rapid welding, but also reduces the requirements on assembling. At the same time, the residual stress and welding deformation can be controlled at a low level.

Prof. Sun Baode and Prof. Shan Aidang, leaders of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, SJTU and Prof. Wu Yixiong, one of the founders of the Lab also attended the celebration. Participants included representatives from industrial collaborators, e.g. Bao Shan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Trumpf Laser Technique Co., Ltd., IPG Photonics Co., Ltd., and some other German companies. All teachers and students of Laser Processing Lab also participated in the celebration.

Source: School of Materials Science and Engineering