TWI Ltd

TWI is a world leading independent research and technology organisation. Established in 1946 with headquarters at Granta Park near Cambridge, TWI provides industry with engineering and manufacturing solutions for structures, incorporating joining and associated technologies (surfacing, coating, additive manufacture, cutting, etc.) through information and technology transfer; consultancy and project support; generic research, contract R&D; training, qualification and professional society membership. It is the only single source of expertise in every aspect of joining technology for engineering materials - metals, plastics, ceramics, composites and electronic assemblies – from materials selection, through manufacture, to in-service performance.
It has regional UK offices and research facilities in Middlesbrough, Rotherham, Aberdeen and Port Talbot. There are also offices and training facilities in North America, South East Asia, China, Australia, Central Asia, India and the Middle East.
TWI is a non-profit distributing company, limited by guarantee and owned by its Members. It can therefore offer independent advice and is internationally renowned for employing multidisciplinary teams to implement established or advanced joining technology or to solve problems arising at any stage - from initial design, materials selection, production and quality assurance, through to service performance and repair.
TWI has around 800 Members worldwide, operating in over 4500 locations dedicated to helping industry apply all forms of joining technology safely and efficiently. Some 1800 companies and organisations – representing virtually all sectors of manufacturing industry from over 70 countries around the globe – benefit from TWI services. TWI also houses a professional institution, The Welding Institute, with a separate membership of 6000 individuals.
An international training and examinations programme sees around 25,000 students trained each year in welding and inspection technologies, while TWI also has three state-of-the-art laboratories at its Cambridge headquarters for the National Structural Integrity Research Centre, a dedicated postgraduate centre for industry-led engineering research.
TWI also manages an Innovation Network where a growing number of Innovation Centres are positioned to share research and technology capabilities, undertake joint research programmes and develop the next generation of technologies and engineers in the selected research disciplines.
TWI undertakes contract R&D in confidence for both industry and governments. It can offer individual experts or teams to help solve problems of all kinds related to materials joining. It will send its specialists anywhere in the world at short notice on troubleshooting missions.
Quality and reliability are of prime concern to industry. The recognised way of ensuring satisfactory performance is by working to relevant standards or specifications. TWI assists in the production of standards in the interest of its Member companies. It has representatives on more than 60 International, American and European committees and over 50 British Standard drafting groups. The field of activity covers welding engineering, welding equipment, structural integrity, corrosion, materials selection and joining of plastics.
Knowhow within TWI covers materials properties and applications (ferrous and non-ferrous metals, polymers, ceramics, advanced composites, structural integrity, fracture, design and NDT), joining, fabricating and assembling technologies (welding and cutting processes, surface engineering, brazing, soldering, adhesive bonding, additive manufacture, electronic packaging) and manufacturing (project management, decision support, manufacturing systems, health and safety, quality assurance).
TWI operates a management system certificated by LRQA to BS EN ISO 9001:2008. It also has certificated management systems for health and safety (BS OHSAS 18001) and environment (BS EN ISO 14001).