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Friction Processing Research Unit
Involvement into the field of Friction Stir Welding was first established through collaboration with Plymouth University in 2000. Since then the research group has grown considerably with students successfully completing their post graduate studies in this field. Currently a good amount of students are registered for post graduate studies in the field of Friction Stir Processing. The group has been well supported in the past by the National Research Foundation in terms of project cost as well as equipment funding. Throughout the past eight years the infrastructure has been established needed for the group to be able to become leaders within the field of Friction Stir Processing.
The group is ideally situated to become leaders in this field as the Nelson Mandela University is currently the only tertiary institution in South Africa with the capability to do research within this field. Links has also been established with various industrial partners to develop the technology for industrial applications e.g. the nuclear industry of South Africa.
The establishment of this institute is to follow a more focused approach in order to establish the Nelson Mandela University as leaders in the field of Friction Processing technology. It will also ensure that the knowledge is maintained within the group and not linked to an individual researcher only.