Högskolan Väst, Institutionen för ingenjörsvetenskap

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is University West’s overarching profile and basic principle applied to learning, the exchange of ideas, and educational development. The government has assigned the distinguished task of developing WIL to University West. Work integrated learning in education and research develops new, relevant and advanced knowledge both within the academy and among its partners, which also benefits society in general. University West offers a wide variety of study programs, has a good number of applicants and the students show a high entry rate on the labor market. The main research environments at University West are Production technology, Learning in and for the new working life and Child and youth studies and is conducted in collaboration with the surrounding society. Campus is centrally located in Trollhättan with about 13,000 students and 700 employees.

University West is offering a PhD Studentship in Production Technology - Specializing in Weldability of Ni-based Superalloys

Research in The Division of Welding Technology in the Department of Engineering Science focus around 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 understanding of welding processes and its influence on the materials. In a new project in cooperation with Swedish industry we seek a PhD student for a position at University West.

The scientific work in the project

Efficient and successful production and joining of precipitation hardening Ni-base superalloys requires precise control of processes and in depth understanding of relations between composition, processing thermal cycles and resulting microstructures as these control properties. This is true both for superalloy production using primary melting, rolling and heat treatment as well as component production with welding. Fabrication by welding using arc or laser adds to complexity to a component by introducing local variations in thermal cycles resulting in an inhomogeneous microstructure making control and prediction of microstructures and properties even more complex. It is therefore of outmost importance to understand the metallurgy and corresponding weldability of the specific material.

In the welding technology group, there are a number of ongoing and recent projects dealing with both production and welding of Ni-based superalloys. Techniques to control and monitor thermal cycles have been developed which together with instruments and software for evaluation and modelling of thermal cycles and microstructures provide unique possibilities to study these versatile but complex materials. With access to a state-of-the-art SEM-EBSD, Varestraint testing equipment, Gleeble Thermomechanical testing equipment, Arc Heat Treatment equipment, hardness mapping facilities as well as relevant software for modelling and thermodynamic calculations it is possible to both apply well-designed experiment to investigate the microstructure and corresponding weldability behavior.

Problems and materials would initially be selected from ongoing projects on superalloys. Focus will be mainly on precipitation hardening Ni-based superalloys, but complementary studies should also be made on other grades.

Potential research questions include:

  • Influence of pre-weld heat treatments on hot cracking using arc or laser welding,
  • influence of post weld heat treatment on strain age cracking,
  • microstructure evolution during welding and heat treatment,
  • microstructure evolution and its influence on mechanical properties.

PhD 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. For more information about our research center, go to: Production Technology Centre

Job description: The research program includes, in addition to participation in third-cycle courses and other activities, implementation of an 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 per cent of full-time working hours. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 2).

Qualification requirements: 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.

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 Production Technology or some related discipline. 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 2015/1343 B 25: https://www.hv.se/en/research/research-education/courses/production-technology/

Selection: : The basic factor for selection from 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 Technology in Production Technology, Ref. No 2015/1343 B 25.

To be successful in this project the applicant should be highly motivated, have an accurate way of working, and have good communicative and collaborative skills. The applicant should have a strong aptitude for analysis and problem solving of physical problems that relates to industry. In the selection process interviewing, referencing and proofreading may be relevant.

Qualifications of merit for this position (please upload supporting documentation):

  • Master of Science (or equivalent level) in Material Science or equivalent
  • Knowledge of welding (metallurgy and processes)
  • Good knowledge of superalloys in general and precipitation hardening Ni-based superalloys in particular
  • Experience in material- and property characterization
  • Experience of microstructural characterization using techniques such as SEM, XRD, TEM etc is regarded as a merit
  • Good understanding of material affecting issues during processing and production
  • Experience of modelling and thermodynamical calculations is a merit
  • Experience of research work and scientific writing (prior publications in the subject is regarded as a merit)
  • Willingness to travel and perform experiments outside of University West if needed
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing in English (documented)
  • Ability to communicate in Swedish is regarded as a merit

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).

Applications are to be submitted electronically through the University West web-based recruitment tool, MyNetwork. Go to https://www.hv.se/en/meet-university-west/job-opportunities/.

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
  • Other documents which the applicant wishes to invoke

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.

The application should reach University West no later than 2020-01-05.

Documents that cannot be sent digitally, should be sent to:

University West
HR
461 86 Trollhättan
Sweden

Mark the application with ref.no: R 2019/252

Type of employment Temporary position
Employment expires 2014-02-28
Contract type Full time
First day of employment By agreement
Salary Monthly pay
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Trollhättan
County Västra Götalands län
Country Sweden
Reference number 2019/252
Contact
  • Joel Andersson, Head of department, +46520-22 33 38, joel.andersson@hv.se
  • Chamara Kumara, PhD Committee, +46520-22 33 59, chamara.kumara@hv.se
Union representative
  • Victoria Sjöstedt, OFR, +46721-60 01 57
  • Henrik Johansson, SACO, +46520-22 33 25
Published 23.Oct.2019
Last application date 05.Jan.2020 11:59 PM CET

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