HRO Design Forum

Purpose of the HRO Design Forum

The HRO Design Forum was established as a meeting place for the designers of welded and demanding structures with the operating idea:

• to produce original and meaningful research information
• to actively develop interesting national and international research projects
• to relay the latest research information to the participants through annually arranged theme days, symposia and events
• to form business groups that start joint product development projects to study common problems
• to enable the establishment of company-specific service research and training days
• to relay the information assembled within the framework of the International Institute of Welding (IIW) to the industry.

Members

The HRO Design Forum consists of nearly forty member companies. All member companies are focused on the design, manufacturing or development of demanding metal structures. In addition, the HRO network also includes material suppliers, analysis, measurement and inspection services, as well as product developers and customers. Thus, the entire production chain of metal structures is represented.

HRO Members

Research projects

The interest of the members has focused on the fatigue phenomenon and, in particular, that of welded joints. In the section below, we list the research projects co-ordinated by Laboratory of Steel Structures at LUT University that have been completed,or are currently underway or that are being planned on topics that the HRO Design Forum considers interesting.

Planned Research Projects

• determining the fatigue chracteristics of aluminum structures, focusing on welded aluminum components (AluWeld)
• development of the 4R method for fatigue assessment of welded joints and cut edges
• prediction and control of welding deformation and residual stresses

Completed Research Projects

• WiseROOT, studying the rootside fatigue of a weld joint
• research project, "Hot Spot Method for the Fatigue Analysis of Weld Joints"
• product development project, "Improving Fatigue Strength"
• product development project, "Hot Spot Fatigue Strength of Long Durability"
• research project, "Improving Fatigue Strength by Ultrasound Peening"

Theme Days of the HRO Design Forum

The theme days of the HRO Design Form (HRO Theme Days) are an annual conference for all those interested in the topic of the forum. In other words, companies, organisations and individuals that are not members of the forum may participate.

The regular participants have included the member companies, the faculty of polytechnical universities and technical institutes, structural designers, manufacturers and others interested in the topic.

The HRO Theme Days are typically held in August. The venue varies annually, but every other year the Theme Days are held at the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT).

The programme includes presentations on the latest research in the field and the companies' own research projects, as well as international aspects. Additionally, the conference includes a festive dinner and the possibility to visit businesses.

Joining as a Member and Fees

A company interested in the forum topics may join the HRO Design Forum by getting in touch with the forum's contact person.

The membership fees for the HRO Design Forum are harmonised with the membership fees for the forums of the Finnish Welding and Joining Institute. The membership fees are determined based on the company's size. If the company is already a member of the forums of the Finnish Welding and Joining Institute, the membership fee is lowered. The currently valid membership fees are as follows: