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The HRO Design Forum is a forum co-ordinated by Laboratory of Steel Structures at LUT University for the designers, product developers and researchers of demanding structural applications.
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.
Theme Days of the HRO Design Forum
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.
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Membership
A company interested in the forum topics may join the HRO Design Forum by getting in touch with the forum's contact person.
Members
The HRO Design Forum consists of nearly fifty 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.
History
The HRO Design Forum was established in 1992 by LUT Laboratory of Steel Structures as a meeting place for the designers of welded structures. For a long time, the forum was known as the Forum for the Optimisation of Welded Structures (HRO).
When HRO forum joined the Finnish Welding and Joining Institute, co-ordinated by the Welding Society of Finland (SHY), at the beginning of 2002, the name "Design Forum" was adopted to describe the broadened content. The forum has expanded to cover structures that are not welded, though welded structures are still at the core of the 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.