October University of Galway launches research partnership with Trane Technologies

University of Galway has today launched a new research partnership with multinational engineering company Trane Technologies.

The three-year collaboration on the development of sustainable technologies for advanced manufacturing processes is co-funded by I-Form, Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Trane Technologies.

Trane Technologies is a global leader in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry sector with more than 40 sites worldwide, including its manufacturing subsidiary Thermo King in Galway. It has been a pioneer in the sector for more than 40 years.

The research aims to enhance advanced manufacturing processes for systems used in buildings, homes and transportation, with a focus on sustainable and innovative technologies while increasing productivity and reducing environmental impact.

President of University of Galway, Professor David Burn, said: “At University of Galway we have a proud and unique heritage in the field of engineering. Our research partnership with Trane is the essence of that, as we empower our academics, students and collaborators to pioneer an agenda of innovation, sustainability and learning.”

Max Javaheri, Vice President, Advanced Manufacturing for Trane Technologies, said: “For over 45 years, Thermo King in Galway has been a cornerstone of manufacturing excellence and innovation. This public-private collaboration between Trane Technologies, the University of Galway, and I-Form will build upon that legacy and will focus on developing advanced, innovative, and sustainable production methods that will immensely impact our factories globally. This partnership will create meaningful impact by advancing clean manufacturing technologies and nurturing local talent. Together, we will transform the future of manufacturing and reinforce Galway’s position as a hub for innovation and advanced engineering.”

The research to be conducted as part of the partnership is to be led by Dr Noel Harrison, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, and Pádraig Conneely, Lecturer in Automation and Lean Manufacturing, both of whom are based in the School of Engineering at University of Galway.

Professor Laoise McNamara, Head of the School of Engineering at University of Galway, said:  “This partnership will combine cutting-edge academic research with a real-world engineering application, allowing University of Galway to collaborate with Trane Technologies' subject matter experts and automation engineers, as well as creating new learning opportunities for our researchers and students.”

Professor Denis Dowling, Centre Director, I-Form - Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, said: “This three-year collaboration exemplifies I-Form’s mission to drive the transformation of advanced manufacturing in Ireland through sustainable, high-impact research partnerships. By co-funding projects like this, we are helping to shape a more innovative and resilient manufacturing ecosystem for the future.”

One of the aims of the research project is to enable sustainable, fast and reduced-cost development of new products and processes and digitalised manufacturing, by replacing time-consuming, physical experimentation with advanced, predictive modelling.

The partnership will focus on advancing automation in brazing (the process of joining metal by melting an intermediary filler metal) and leak detection processes. It aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the material and process phenomena involved in automated induction and hydrogen brazing, leading to the industrial integration of optimised scalable brazing processes.

As a world-class leader in fostering industry collaboration, University of Galway researcher and students will work with Thermo King R&D teams and other staff to develop advanced manufacturing solutions that will be deployed across Trane Technologies’ global network.

The research project team will design, develop and validate robotic and automated systems for brazing operations; build proof-of-concept prototypes and test beds to demonstrate system capabilities; conduct industrial trials and validate system performance in a production-representative environment; and develop robotic system programmes and virtual simulations of process and tooling using in-house robotic systems.

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