PhD studentship in Production Technology – specializing in Friction Stir Welding

Research in The Division of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Engineering Science focuses on three main areas in relation to welding technology: Metallurgy, Process physics modelling, and Process development and control. Our main aim is to fundamentally study and improve our understanding of welding and welding-based additive manufacturing processes and their influence on materials.

In a new project in cooperation with a consortium of different industrial companies, we are seeking a PhD student for a position at University West. 

The scientific part of the project

Friction stir welding and processing (FSW/P) is a solid-state and environmentally friendly welding technique, making it an attractive option for industries looking for efficient and sustainable welding solutions. FSW/P doesn't involve the generation of molten metal, so there is less risk of fumes, gases, and spatter that can result in air pollution or the need for extensive fume extraction systems. This makes FSW/P a cleaner process with reduced environmental impact.

Considerable research effort has been devoted worldwide towards the investigation of FSW/P for different types of aluminium alloys manufactured through different routes such as extrusion, rolling, and cast. At University West, too, a strong research environment in FSW/P of all types of aluminium alloys in similar as well as dissimilar combinations has taken shape with the aid of numerous funded projects implemented in close co-operation with industries. However, there has been very limited previous work globally addressing dissimilar combinations of aluminium alloys and tooling systems.

The PhD project will focus on the development of high temperature materials  structures, specifically shedding light on how to minimize tool wear during FSW/P as well as superior quality. This will demand systematic experimental studies that will investigate build characteristics such as microstructures, precipitates, etc., besides functional properties such as static as well as dynamic loading of the built structures.

Doctoral degree program: Production Technology

Research center:

Doctoral students in Production Technology become members of the research group PTW (Production Technology West). The group collaborates with the engineering industry in the region at the Production Technology Centre, which houses an advanced research laboratory. Click here for more information about our research center.

Job description:

The research program includes, in addition to participation in third-cycle courses and other activities, the implementation of independent thesis work. Doctoral students shall primarily devote themselves to their own education. A doctoral student may, however, be engaged to a limited extent in education, research, and administration, mainly within Production Technology. Such duties, before a doctorate has been conferred, may not occupy more than 20 percent of full-time working hours. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 2).

Qualification requirements:

To qualify for appointment as a PhD, two eligibility requirements must be met: 1) basic eligibility and 2) special eligibility.

1. The basic eligibility requirements for doctoral programs as set out in the Higher Education Ordinance are as follows:
   • a degree at master’s level,
   • completed courses totaling at least 240 university credits of which a minimum of 60 at master’s level
     or,
   • substantially equivalent knowledge gained in some other way whether in Sweden or abroad.
     
     
2.  To fulfil the special eligibility requirements for a doctoral degree in Production Technology, a student must hold a degree at master’s level in a subject relevant to the doctoral degree subject. This degree may be in Applied Physics, Engineering Mathematics, Engineering Physics, or equivalent, with a thesis project comprising at least 15 credits at advanced level. The eligibility requirements may be fulfilled by studies in Sweden or abroad.

For more information please read 3.1 and 3.2 in General syllabus for the third-cycle programme in Production Technology, Ref. No U 2021/160. 

Additional Qualifications:

Mandatory:

• Master of Science (or equivalent level) in Material Science or equivalent
• Knowledge of welding processes (arc, laser, friction stir, and ultrasonic welding etc.)
• Hands-on experience in microstructural characterization using techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM, etc.
• Documented ability in oral and written English communication 

Other relevant but not mandatory qualifications:

• Experience in friction stir welding experiments (tooling and fixture).
• Experience in advanced characterization using techniques such as EBSD, XRD, TEM, etc.
• Experience in material testing such as tensile and fatigue.
• Experience in materials modelling and thermodynamics.
• Basic knowledge of aluminium alloys, copper, and titanium metallurgy and welding metallurgy
• Demonstrated research experience and scientific writing skills in the form of prior publication
• Willingness to travel and perform experiments outside of University West if needed
• Basic knowledge of NDT applied to welding
• Basic programming experience for industrial robots/CNC equipments and related programming software (e.g., ABB RAPID, RobotStudio, KUKASIM, G-code, 3DExperience)
• Basic programming experience in control systems and process analysis software (e.g., LabVIEW, Matlab, Python) 

Selection:

The basic factor for selection among qualified applicants is the ability to profit from such a program. For more information, please read 3.3 in General syllabus for the third-cycle programme in Production Technology, Ref. No U 2021/160. 

We believe that a successful applicant should have a genuine interest in the development of welding process covering all the aspects of tooling, fixtures, structure, and property. It will also be essential to actively take part in the design of experiments followed by testing and analysis.  For this reason, the ability to work well in a group with other employees and students is necessary.

Duration and terms of employment:

Employment as a doctoral student shall be on an open-ended basis but not for longer than to a specific point in time and never for a period extending more than one year after receiving the doctoral degree. The initial appointment must not be for more than one year. The appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. A person may be employed as a research student for a total of not more than eight years. The total period of employment, however, may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study at the third level of higher education. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 7). If 20% of the working hours are dedicated to education and administration, this normally means an employment of 5 years.

Application

Applications are to be submitted electronically through the University West web-based recruitment tool, Varbi.

The application must include:

• CV/Personal qualifications
• Personal letter containing
  • Interest in the research topic.
  • Previous experience regarding the proposed research topic and its research         methods and scientific theories.
  • Motive to pursue doctoral studies
• Degree project of second level of higher education
• Degree certificate of first and second level of higher education in the original language and in translation
• Diploma Supplement in original language and in translation
• Course list/transcript of all semesters for bachelor's and master's degrees in original language and in translation
• Other documents which the applicant wishes to invoke

If your degree is from a university outside of Sweden, make sure that you attach a diploma and full transcripts that makes assessing your degree easier. If your degree has not been verified by a Swedish authority you need to provide contact details to the issuing university, registrar or similar, that can verify the degree at our request.

Approved written languages regarding papers, diplomas, grades and other relevant documents are the Scandinavian languages and English, or translations into those languages. Attach the original when submitting translated documents.

Documents that cannot be sent digitally, should be marked with ref.no R 2025/217 sent to:

University West
HR
461 86 Trollhättan
Sweden

The application should reach University West no later than 2026-03-01. Mark the application with ref.no: R 2025/217.

The Department of Engineering Sciences strives for equality and diversity in all professions. We welcome applicants with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. For us, it is natural with an inclusive working environment and that our employees can combine work with active parenthood.

Welcome with your application!

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