The aim of this paper is to explore the possibilities of how Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), by integrating research and education, can increase the industrial competences of students. By exploring the perceptions of various stakeholders and analyzing ongoing trends, this paper seeks to shed light on the potential ways in which HEIs can contribute to future industrial competitiveness. Identifying existing skill gaps among future engineers will enable the HEIs to know the demand for skills and align graduate capabilities with industry requirements. The final reflections will explore how HEIs can collaborate with regional and national industries, through integrating activities between engineering research and education, contributing to industrial readiness as well as to the DeepINVENTHEI initiatives in Europe.

The current paper aimed to study the impact properties of additively manufactured maraging steel (1.2709) using laser powder bed fusion (PBF-L) processing. The specimens were fabricated using 3D Systems ProX 300 equipment under constant specific power input, or Andrew number. The interactions between the build strategy and parameters such as hatch spacing and scan speed was, and the impact strength and fracture were investigated. The impact energy anisotropy was also investigated in parallel and perpendicular to the build direction. Instrumented impact testing was performed, and the fractography supported that the fusion zone geometry dictated the fracture behavior. The influence from gaseous elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen was found insignificant at the levels found in the printed material. 

A high-pressure die-casting process was employed to produce AZ91D components. These cast components were exposed to three different post-treatments: (1) clean blasting, (2) clean blasting and painting, and (3) painting (without clean blasting). The influence of the process parameters first phase injection speed, temperature of fixed half of the die, cooling time, and intensification pressure on distortion and residual stress of the components after each post-treatment were investigated. The results showed that intensification pressure was the most significant factor among the four parameters.

A finite element analysis of a complex assembly was made. The material description used was a physically based material model with dislocation density as an internal state variable. This analysis showed the importance of the materials’ behavior in the process as there is discrepancy between the bolt head contact pressure and the internals state of the materials where the assembly process allows for recovery. The end state is governed by both the tightening process and the thermal history and strongly influenced by the thermal expansion of the AZ91D alloy.

Effect of solution chemistry on the electropolymerization and the electrochemical properties of polypyrrole coatings on aluminum is studied by means of electrochemical techniques, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that the protection effect of the coating in long-term exposures and when exposed to more concentrated NaCl solutions depends on the chemistry of electropolymerization electrolyte. The results show that nitrate anions passivate the aluminum substrate during the electropolymerization process. The resulting coating is less prone to blistering in a NaCl solution and probably due to its higher electrochemical activity presents a higher anodic protection effect. The galvanic interaction of polypyrrole coating with aluminum in a NaCl solution is directly observed using focused ion beam-assisted SEM.

This paper presents a study of distortion and residual stress within a high-pressure die-cast AZ91D component, cast under different processing conditions. The influence of process parameters, i.e., die temperature, cooling time, intensification pressure and first-phase injection speeds, was examined. Distortions were measured using the in-house standard analog quality control fixture. Residual stress depth profiles were measured using a prism hole-drilling method. It was found that the most important process parameter affecting the distortion was intensification pressure and the second most important was temperature difference between the two die halves (fixed and moving side). Tensile residual stresses were found very near the surface. Increasing the intensification pressure resulted in an increased level of tensile residual stresses.

A dislocation density-based constitutive model, including effects of microstructure scale and temperature, was calibrated to predict flow stress of an as-cast AZ91D (Mg-9%Al-1%Zn) alloy. Tensile stress-strain data, for strain rates from 10-4 up to 10-1 s-1 and temperatures from room temperature up to 190 °C were used for model calibration. The used model accounts for the interaction of various microstructure features with dislocations and thereby on the plastic properties. It was shown that the Secondary Dendrite Arm Spacing (SDAS) size was appropriate as an initial characteristic microstructural scale input to the model. However, as strain increased the influence of subcells size and total dislocation density dominated the flow stress. The calibrated temperature-dependent parameters were validated through a correlation between microstructure and the physics of the deforming alloy. The model was validated by comparison with dislocation density obtained by using Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) technique.

The flow stress of an as-cast Al-Si based alloy was modeled using a dislocation density based model. The developed dislocation density-based constitutive model describes the flow curve of the alloy with various microstructures at quite wide temperature range. Experimental data in the form of stress-strain curves for different strain rates ranging from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻¹ s⁻¹ and temperatures ranging from ambient temperature up to 400 °C were used for model calibration. In order to model precisely the hardening and recovery process at elevated temperature, the interaction between vacancies and dissolved Si was included. The calibrated temperature dependent parameters for different microstructure were correlated to the metallurgical event of the material and validated. For the first time, a dislocation density based model was successfully developed for Al-Si cast alloys. The findings of this work expanded the knowledge on short strain tensile deformation behaviour of these type of alloys at different temperature, which is a critical element for conducting a reliable microstructural FE-simulation.

This paper investigates the influence of Si content and Si particle morphology on the corrosion protection of anodized oxide layers on Al-Si alloys. Two Al alloys with low Si concentrations (2.43 wt-% and 5.45 wt-%, respectively) were studied and compared with 6082-T6 via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3 wt-% NaCl solution prior to oxide layer sealing. Si particles were also modified by the addition of Sr to study the influence of Si particle morphology on the corrosion protection of the oxide layer. The EIS showed that the corrosion protection provided by the oxide layer on Al-Si alloys is significantly affected by the presence of Si particles. Si particles make the oxide layer locally thinner and more defective in the eutectic region, thereby increasing the ease of substrate corrosion attack. However, the addition of Sr can improve the corrosion protection of anodized Al-Si alloys significantly. Furthermore, it was proved that higher Si level influences negatively the anodized oxide corrosion protection due to the higher amount of cracks and defects, but Sr modification is efficient in preventing this negative effect.