A master of welding in China, who will surely be recorded in the history of welding in China

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In the welding industry, the greatest experts in welding – the academicians – are objects of admiration for all those who work in this field. They have made outstanding contributions to China’s welding industry. The editor has compiled the main achievements of the four academicians in the field of welding, so that those working in this industry can be aware of them. Pan Jiluan (academician): His main academic achievements include his role in establishing some of the first welding programs in domestic universities. In the late 1950s, he successfully developed plate electrode electroslag welding as well as surfacing techniques for heavy hammering dies, which were then put into use in production. In the early 1960s, argon arc welding was successfully tested for use in nuclear reactor manufacturing, completing China’s first set of nuclear reactor welding projects produced domestically. Subsequently, research was conducted to develop China’s first electron beam welder, and in-depth studies were carried out on the mechanism of welding hot cracks. In the late 1970s, research was conducted on arc sensors; for the first time, dynamic and static physical-mathematical models of arc sensors were developed, and distinctive arc sensors along with automatic tracking systems were successfully created. In the 1980s, the \"QH-ARC\" welding arc control method was successfully developed. For the first time, the concept of using the multi-segment external characteristic, steep-rise external characteristic, and scanning external characteristic of the power supply to control the arc was proposed, opening up new avenues for arc control in welding and welding automation. From 1987 to 1991, I served as a welding consultant during the construction of China’s first nuclear power plant (Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant), making significant contributions to this project. In 2003, a crawling arc welding robot was developed, reaching an internationally leading level. The research achievement, the “QH—ARC method,” won the **First Prize for Innovation and Invention (1984)** ； ““The Two-way Laser Automatic Tracking System for Welding” won the Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Achievements in Beijing (1984) ； “The “ZD—30 electron beam welder” was awarded the Second Prize for New Product Innovation by the Science and Technology Commission, the Economic Planning Commission, the Planning Commission, and other agencies (in 1965). In addition, it received the Ho Leung Ho Lee Award for Scientific and Technical Progress (2000), China’s highest honor in welding (2001), the first prize for outstanding scientific and technical books at the 10th National Conference (2001), as well as the second and third prizes for teaching achievements at the ** level (2001). Notable works include “Arc Welding Control”, “Modern Arc Welding Control”, “Thermal Cracking in Welding”, “Welding Handbook”, and others. More than 100 academic papers have been published, including \"Adaptive Control for GMA Welding\" and others. More than **10 patents have been obtained, including one U.S. patent. Academician Kwan Kiu is primarily credited with developing the theory of \"low-stress, distortion-free welding\" and is the inventor of this new technology. The necessary and sufficient conditions for actively controlling stress deformation during the welding process were theoretically elucidated and demonstrated, breaking away from the traditional notion that welding deformation is \"inevitable\" and solving a major challenge in welding technology and manufacturing engineering. Guided by this theory in the stress research on the \"low-stress, distortion-free welding method for thin plate components,\" a **patent was obtained**. This technology is applied in the development of aviation turbojet engines and the production of space launch vehicles; it prevents potential quality issues, resolves key technical challenges in the development of new models, and yields significant benefits with outstanding practical effects ； It has successively won the First Prize for Aviation Science and Technology Progress Awards and the First Prize for Aerospace Science and Technology Progress Awards. Given that this achievement represents a major breakthrough in the field of deformation control in welded structures, and plays a significant role in ensuring the reliability and integrity of thin-walled welded structures used in aerospace applications, as well as making important contributions to the development of the discipline of welding mechanics, it was awarded the Second Prize in the **Invention Award in 1995. In recent years, he has further adopted the \"heat source-heat sink\" system to develop a new concept for dynamically controlling welding thermal strain, thereby endowing the \"low-stress, distortion-free welding technology\" with greater process flexibility, which is useful for the manufacturing of new aircraft ； Another **patent for invention has been obtained. He has made significant contributions to the study of welding mechanics and the integrity of welded structures. To address the limitations of the flat-section assumption in traditional welding mechanics theory, the concept of \"internal restraint degree\" was introduced. Physical-mathematical models for the \"static control using a preset temperature field\" and \"dynamic control using a multi-source system\" of welding incoherent strains were developed, opening up new directions for research in welding mechanics and the quantitative analysis of thermal strain damage in joints. He insisted that numerical simulations must be verified through experiments, and developed a \"welding transient thermal strain fringe testing technique\" for use under special conditions such as high local temperatures, large temperature gradients, and large strain gradients in welding, in order to validate the software developed ； This highly challenging research achievement has advanced China’s research in welding mechanics to the international forefront of process mechanics research, earning it the second prize in the Aviation Science and Technology Progress Award. He has presented papers multiple times at the annual meetings of the International Institute of Welding (IIW), attracting the attention of his peers, and his series of articles was recommended for publication in IIW’s authoritative journal, \"Welding in the World\". He is a leading figure in the field of aviation welding engineering in our country. For over 30 years, he has led and supervised the research, development, and practical application of numerous new special welding technologies that are urgently needed in the aviation industry ； Such as ； Extended welding, SPF/DB combined processes, pulsed TIG and MIG overhead welding processes, weld rolling and pre-deformation processes, vacuum arc welding and brazing, friction stir welding, etc ； It has opened up an important direction for the development of specialized aviation welding technologies in our country, providing advanced technical support for the development of new aircraft and the technological upgrading of factories. At the end of the 1980s, based on an analysis of the emerging trends in multidisciplinary integration within the field of material processing internationally, a proposal was put forward to establish a **key laboratory for high-energy beam processing technology**. I participated in the establishment of this national key laboratory for science and technology, serving as its chairman of the academic committee and guiding research on the technical foundations and application development of electron beams, lasers, and plasmas in the processing and fabrication of advanced materials. In 1998, at his initiative, a key laboratory for \"Aeronautical Connection Technology\" was established, and he served as its director of the academic committee. He placed great emphasis on talent development, fostering a group of young and highly qualified professional researchers; many of the graduate students and young experts he trained now hold important positions. In recognition of his contributions, he has been awarded numerous honors, including the National Science Conference Award, the title of Expert with Outstanding Contributions, the Aviation Gold Award, the First Prize in the Guanghua Science and Technology Award, and the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Award for Technical Sciences. Xu Binshi (academician), a welding expert. Xu Binshi, an expert in welding. An expert in repair engineering, surface engineering, and remanufacturing engineering, and one of the main advocates and pioneers of these fields in China. Major achievements: (1) Systematically developed brush plating equipment, plating solutions, and processes. It has solved a number of critical key technologies needed for major projects, such as enabling the on-site partial repair of large machinery like 10,000-ton ships and tanks without the need to disassemble them, thereby overcoming the significant engineering challenges associated with repairing large equipment on site. Brush plating technology has been listed as a **key new technology to be promoted** for three consecutive five-year plans. In recent years, he has successfully developed a nanoparticle-composite electrobrush plating technique; the nanocomposite coatings produced using this technique can significantly enhance a material’s resistance to high-temperature wear and contact fatigue. He has been awarded **2 invention patents**, and these technologies have been applied in 16 key military units responsible for equipment maintenance, helping to solve the challenges related to the remanufacturing of certain critical components in heavy-duty vehicles, ships, and aircraft engines. (2) For the first time in China, plasma spraying technology was used to solve the major problem of being unable to repair the thin-walled worn parts of heavy-duty vehicles such as tanks. Plasma spraying equipment suitable for repairing tank parts was developed, and repair process specifications for five different operating conditions were optimized, thereby solving the problem of being unable to repair 52 types of thin-walled parts in tanks. It was introduced and promoted across the entire military starting in 1981, generating annual economic benefits of 3.66 million yuan. At the end of the 1990s, a high-performance supersonic plasma spraying technology was developed based on traditional plasma spraying techniques; its overall performance surpassed that of similar products in the United States. The nano-coatings produced by this technology can be used to repair blades in high-performance aircraft engines. (3) A new type of tank track plate material, ZGMn8CrMo, was invented. Building on his invention of a self-reinforcing biphasic alloy resistant to contact fatigue and wear, he successfully developed a new type of material for tank tracks, ZGMn8CrMo, through years of research efforts. This new material increased the service life of the materials used in domestic tanks from 3,725 kilometers to over 10,000 kilometers, representing a more than three-fold increase in durability compared to the previous Mn13 material. (4) For the first time in China, arc spraying technology was applied to the research on surface anti-corrosion for large ship steel structures. A new high-speed arc spraying technology has been developed, along with arc spraying alloys and wire rods with powder cores suitable for use in ships, power plants, and other applications where corrosion and wear resistance are required. It effectively extends the service life of main combat equipment such as ship hulls and amphibious tanks. (5) Took the lead in advocating and promoting the establishment of new disciplines in surface engineering and remanufacturing engineering in China. In the 1980s, China was the first to propose and actively advocate for the establishment of the field of surface engineering; it organized the creation of China’s first research institute in this field, as well as a research center for surface engineering in military equipment maintenance and a key laboratory for surface engineering across the military ； In recent years, the concept of nano-surface engineering has been introduced, and in-depth research has been conducted on technologies such as nano-electroplating, nano-supersonic plasma spraying, and micro-nano anti-friction self-healing additive technologies. These technologies have been applied in society and defense systems, yielding significant social and economic benefits. In October 2004, the International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering awarded him its highest award for academic achievement in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of surface engineering. On the basis of strengthening maintenance engineering and surface engineering, he was the first in China to propose and establish the discipline of remanufacturing engineering, and set up a key national laboratory for equipment remanufacturing technology. Remanufacturing engineering has received attention from China’s leadership and relevant authorities. In 2005, Documents 21 and 22 issued by the State Council listed remanufacturing technology as one of the key technologies. In 2006, the “Strategic Research Report on China’s Medium- and Long-Term Science and Technology Development Plan” identified “common key manufacturing technologies and remanufacturing technology” as one of the 24 priority areas for development in manufacturing science and technology, providing a strategic basis for the long-term advancement of remanufacturing in China. Major works: He has published 19 monographs, including \"The Great Encyclopedia of Materials Engineering in China (Volumes 16 and 17): Surface Engineering of Materials (Volumes 1 and 2)\", \"Theory and Technology of Equipment Remanufacturing Engineering\", \"Circular Economy and Remanufacturing\", \"Theory and Technology of Surface Engineering\", \"Surface Engineering and Maintenance\", \"Nanosurface Engineering\", \"Fundamentals of Remanufacturing Engineering and Its Applications\", and \"Remanufacturing and Circular Economy\" ； Over 1,000 academic papers have been published, with more than 400 indexed in the three major databases ； Authorization and acceptance of **over 50 invention patents. Lin Shangyang (Academician): Academician Lin Shangyang is primarily engaged in research on welding processes, welding materials, underwater welding techniques, as well as the mechanization and automation of arc welding processes. Key achievements: In the 1970s, the technical challenges related to the processing of high-alumina welding electrodes were overcome; the interrelationships among the three main components Al, Mn, and Si were successfully addressed. For the first time in China, welding electrodes for austenitic low-temperature steels based on the Fe-Mn-Al system were developed, with the weld metal achieving a Charpy impact value of 80 J at low temperatures of -196 and -253 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the Jie 507CrNiCu welding electrode suitable for seawater-corrosion-resistant steel was also developed, which is used for welding underwater pipelines and pontoon docks. Since the mid-1970s, to meet the needs of China’s marine development, he led research on underwater welding techniques and invented a semi-automatic CO2 gas-shielded welding method for local drainage under water. This approach overcame three key technical challenges: poor visibility underwater, high hydrogen content in the welded joints, and low toughness and plasticity, achieving a major breakthrough that advanced China’s underwater welding technology by 20 years and brought it to the level of international excellence. Over the past 20 years, I have participated in more than a dozen major underwater welding projects, including fixed and jack-up offshore drilling platforms, docks, and fishing boats. For this work, I was awarded the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress by the Ministry of Machinery, as well as the Third Prize for Invention and Creation. While researching dry welding techniques at depths of 200 meters, I developed a new type of swirl-type double-layer gas-shielded welding torch, for which I was granted an invention patent by the Chinese Patent Office. This welding torch uses 30% argon and 70% carbon dioxide (unmixed) to achieve a stable jet flow. In the 1980s, the double-wire narrow-gap submerged arc welding method was invented, successfully resolving the conflict between efficiency and quality in welding extremely thick steel structures as well as the issue of welding automation. This device features a novel design concept, a unique arrangement of welding wires, a computerized control system, and fully automated welding processes. The double-wire narrow-gap submerged arc welding method not only improves the welding quality of extra-thick plates and saves a large amount of welding material and energy consumption, but also enhances the mechanical properties of the joint, especially in the overheated zone. For over 10 years, the complete set of equipment for this invention has been used in 15 key factories across industries such as boilers, heavy machinery, chemical processing equipment, and valves. It has been used to weld components such as the steam drums of 300 MW and 600 MW power station boilers, the main working cylinders of large hydraulic presses, large-scale valves, and reactors; the maximum thickness of the welded joints is 260 mm. Over the years, the average pass rate for initial flaw detection of these welded joints has been over 98%, resulting in significant economic benefits. This achievement has won the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the Ministry of Machinery, the Third Prize for Invention and Creation, as well as the National Outstanding Patent Award. During the same period, he also led the development of a self-designed gantry-type dual-head two-dimensional tracking automatic welding machine, which was used to weld components such as the main girders of large-scale metallurgical cranes manufactured for Baosteel’s second-phase project and the structural members of rocket launch towers; he received the Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the Ministry of Machinery. He led the development of a fleet of Type 80 automatic motorcycle welding machines for factories; there were 14 specialized welding machines in total, which have so far welded more than 1 million sets of motorcycle components such as frames, front forks, rear arms, and mufflers. This achievement won the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the Ministry of Machinery, as well as the **Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress. In the 1990s, a research laboratory for the engineering applications of welding robots was established. Under its leadership, a fully domestically developed set of arc welding robot workstations for bulldozer frames was created – the largest and most complex of its kind in the country at that time. These workstations won the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the Ministry of Machinery, as well as the Third Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress. Building on years of research work, starting in 1992, he actively advocated for and worked to promote the implementation of \"low-cost automation\" technologies in welding processes in China, which elicited a positive response within China’s welding community. He has presided over numerous surveys on the current status of mechanization and automation in welding production across the country, as well as on the application of welding robots; the papers and data he has published have received widespread attention from peers both domestically and internationally.