Sintering and Lasers: Applications, Innovation and Research (FLAIR)
This platform is the result of the merger of two existing platforms, the Lasers platform in Le Creusot and the Sintering platform in Dijon which implement processes involving an intense heat source (laser and electric current) including physical phenomena involved are very close. This platform will allow, by pooling skills and tools (experimental, simulations) to respond with innovation to research, R&D and transfer work in the metallurgy field including powder metallurgy, applications of power lasers and materials science. The main business sectors are nuclear (PNB), defense (DGA), aeronautics, transport.
Frédéric BERNARD
Manager
frederic.bernard[at]u-bourgogne.fr
Phone : +33 (0)3 80 39 61 25
Sinter Tray / Dijon
SPS
We have two flash sintering machines or SPS (Spark Plasma Sintering). This relevant process allows the densification of all types of pulverulent materials (metals, ceramics, composites, …). Our machines allow the sample to be subjected to a high intensity electric current (typically 0-10V, 1-30 kA) while applying a pressure of several tens of MPa and, this, in a temperature range varying from ambient up to 2400 ° C.
- HPD-125 (Fabricant : FCT Système GMbH) ø = 30mm – 160mm, h = 60 – 80mm, 2400°C, 1250kN, 600°C/min, vide, atmosphère neutre (argon, azote), atmosphère réductrice (hydrogène)
- HPD-10 (Fabricant : FCT Système GmbH, Modèle : HPD 10) ø = 8mm-40mm, h=30-50mm, 2400°C, 100kN, 400°C/min, vide, atmosphère neutre (argon, azote)
Contact : S. Le Gallet, F. Bernard
CIC
We also have a hot isostatic compression machine (CIC) which makes it possible to obtain massive materials of complex shapes from metallic or ceramic powders by applying a high pressure of argon. This device also makes it possible to assemble massive parts of different nature by diffusion welding. Pressure and temperature ramps can be independently selected
HIPress: QIH 15L (Avure), enclosure dimensions: ø = 186 mm, h = 500 mm, temperature rise up to 2000 ° C (rise speed up to 50 ° C / min), pressure up '' at 2000 bars.
Contact : J-P. Chateau-Cornu, F. Bernard
Planetary mill
Mechanical synthesis is the operation which allows the synthesis of an alloy within a grinder through a succession of fracture and weld operations. Unfortunately, this mechanical grinding requires high grinding times leading to contamination of the powder by the grinding tools. However, it is possible to perform mechanical activation via the use of short-term high-energy grindings (P4, Fritsch), it makes it possible to produce nanostructured aggregates or agglomerates. Thus, to obtain the desired alloy, it will be necessary to apply a heat treatment to the mixture of mechanically activated powders. This mechanical activation will reduce the annealing and sintering temperatures due to the decrease in grain size but also the accumulation of defects.
- Planetary Mill P4 (Fritsch), Jars from 12 mL to 500 mL, Rotation speed from 0 rpm to 400 rpm
Contact : F. Bernard
Lasers and assemblies technical platform / Le Creusot

The ICB laser hall located in Le Creusot implements laser processes (welding, cutting, marking), as well as more conventional arc welding processes.
The know-how acquired over 25 years has made it possible to develop a multidisciplinary (thermal, hydrodynamic, mechanical, metallurgical, physico-chemical) and multi-scale approach, making it possible to grasp the phenomena which occur during the interaction of the energy beam with matter, and the effects induced by this interaction.
The activity combines experimental aspects:
- Process optimization (experiment plans)
- Instrumentation of the process (rapid imaging, thermometry, thermography, DIC
- Image correlation, physico-chemical and mechanical characterizations)
With multi-physical numerical simulations:
- Thermo-hydraulic: modeling of laser welding in keyhole mode (capillary formation, etc.) / modeling of electromagnetic couplings in arc welding
- Thermomechanics: modeling of stress formation in assemblies
in order to understand the phenomena and to control their consequences, to answer scientific questions but also industrial problems.
The platform has several laser sources including:
TRUMPF TRUDISK 6001: continuous Yb-YAG laser (1030 nm) with a maximum power of 6 kW (fiber of 100 µm minimum), used in welding
TRUMPF HL304P: pulsed Nd-YAG laser (1064 nm) with a maximum average power of 330 W (9 kW peak), particularly used for cutting
ROFIN SLM40D: pulsed Nd-YAG laser (1064 nm) with a maximum average power of 40 W (61 kW peak), used for marking
as well as conventional welding processes: including TIG, MIG and CMT (Cold Metal Transfer).
At the numerical computation level, it mainly relies on COMSOL, ABAQUS and ANSYS commercial software.
The articulation with the socio-economic world is done via SATT SAYENS.
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