INTERACT: Establishing New Collaborations with China in Advanced Metal Forming and Related Processes (Interact-MetForm)

金属成形是制造业最重要的分支之一。金属成形具有节约材料、提高生产效率等显著优点，被广泛应用于航空航天、汽车、机床等众多行业中，一直是、现在仍然是一种具有竞争力的关键制造工艺。英国在金属成形技术和相关工艺的研发方面有着悠久的传统和丰富的传统，在许多领域仍然处于世界领先地位，特别是在航空航天和能源行业方面。然而，英国面临的巨大挑战是，要积极主动地继续提供世界级的基础研究和尖端技术，以确保其为众多尖端企业提供支持基础。发展新的国际合作，特别是与中国这样的主要新兴制造业国家合作，无疑是一项具有远见的战略，也是保持英国在世界舞台上的研究实力并为未来挑战做好准备的有用手段。通过组建一个由成熟和活跃的英国研究人员组成的小组，拟议项目的目的是会见领先的研究人员，并访问中国在先进金属成形和相关工艺方面的顶级研究中心和研究所。将访问的大学包括上海交通大学、华中科技大学、哈尔滨工业大学和清华大学。研究的重点将是(I)新的和新的成形工艺；(Ii)微成形和材料加工；(Iii)新的模具设计和制造技术；(Iv)响应工艺模拟和优化。在访问期间，将安排一连串精心策划的活动，包括参观研究实验室、讲解/研讨会，以及与主办机构的研究人员举行讨论会议，以交流新想法，找出共同感兴趣和了解的地方，并为长期合作奠定坚实的基础。访问结束后，将举办一个研讨会，向英国大学研究界和行业协会的观众传播研究结果和主要发现，以促进与中国在更广泛层面上的新的和可持续的联系和联系。

Metal forming is one of the most important branches of manufacturing. With significant advantages of material saving and high production efficiency for a variety of material types and geometry, metal forming has been, and still remains a key competitive manufacturing process for products widely used in aerospace, automotive, machine tools and many other industries. The UK has a long tradition and rich heritage in research and development of metal forming technologies and related processes and is still a world leader in a number of areas, particularly in association with aerospace and energy industries. However, there is a huge challenge for the UK to be pro-active in continuing to provide world-class fundamental research as well as cutting edge technologies, to ensure its support base for numerous leading-edge enterprises. Developing new international collaborations particularly with the major emerging manufacturing countries such as China is surely a farsighted strategy and a useful means to sustain UK research strength on the world stage and to become well equipped for future challenges. By forming a group of established and active UK researchers, the aim of the proposed project is to meet leading researchers and to visit top Chinese research centres and institutes in advanced metal forming and related processes. The universities to be visited are Shanghai Jiao Tong University; HuaZhong University of Science and Technology; Harbin Institute of Technology and Tsinghua University. The key areas of research focus would be (i) new and novel forming processes; (ii) micro forming and material processing; (iii) new tooling design and manufacturing technologies; (iv) responsive process simulation and optimisation. During the visit, a series of carefully planned activities including tours of research laboratories, presentations / seminars and discussion meetings with researchers in host organisations will be arranged so as to share new ideas, to identify common grounds of interest and understanding, and to develop a solid basis for long-term collaborations. Upon completion of the visit, a seminar will be organised to disseminate the results and key findings to an audience of UK university research community and industrial associations so as to foster new and sustainable connections and links with China in wider dimensions.