IIW History 1990-2015

MEETING CHALLENGE – THE WAY AHEAD

From a research point of view, experimental work using multi-pass laser welding has

been carried out at TWI in the UK to further the science of welding of thicker metal sections

of wind towers, thereby extending the scope in the manufacture of larger and stronger wind

turbines. Research on a national basis has been carried out by several members of IIW to

improve productivity and increase the uptake of wind farms as an economic alternative to

conventional means of producing electrical power. The depth of knowledge provided through

the work of the many Working Units within the Institute has been of great importance

including, of course, the members of Commission XV

Design, Analysis and Fabrication of

Welded Structures

(C-XV) which comprises experts from several disciplines all critical to

the welding of buildings, bridges and offshore structures.

The work of many of the IIW Working Units has consequently been

paramount in the diffusion of technology to the engineers,

designers and constructors of wind farms that have

increasingly become more vital to the environmental

future of this planet. For instance, the Wikinger

offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, off Germany,

will produce 350 MW of electricity, enough to supply

350 000 German households and save 500 000 tonnes of

per year.

The contribution of national welding

organisations, which are members of IIW, are critical

to the success of such enterprises.

DVS, as well as associated German research organisations such as the Fraunhofer

Institute, are integral to the continuing progress and efficiency of wind turbines through

targeted research into the design, materials, welding and processes used in the manufacture

of wind farm rotor blades, including hybrid materials and rotor blade coatings. More

recently, polymer joining and adhesive technology with modern hybrid materials and fibre

reinforced plastics have increased in importance and Commission XVI

Polymer Joining

and Adhesive Technology

(C-XVI), chaired by Prof. Dr-Ing. Volker Schöppner (Germany)

is ideally positioned to provide guidance through a forum of the world’s leading scientists

involved in these relatively new spheres of materials joining, as well as to fields other than

wind turbines, such as the aviation industry.

‘Buildings, too’, it was said, ‘are children of the Earth and the Sun’.

These words

were used by Frank LloydWright, the great American architect, promoting unity of purpose

in the planning of buildings to blend naturally into the environment. The Chrysler Building

in NewYork, USA is an example of this and, at 319 metres tall, still remains supreme as one

of the most beautiful buildings ever built. The Chrysler Building, one must be reminded,

was riveted, not welded. It was constructed from masonry with a steel frame and metal

cladding, reputedly using 391 881 rivets to hold the steel frame together.

Volker Schöppner