The State Key Laboratory of Rolling and Automation (abbreviated as RAL) originated from the Rolling Steel Laboratory of the Northeast Institute of Technology (the predecessor of Northeastern University). It was founded in 1954, and was approved to establish a state-level key laboratory in 1991. In 1995, it passed the inspection and acceptance test and became the only national key laboratory in this field. The “Collaborative Innovation Center of Steel Technology in 2011”, in which RAL played a key role, was approved by the state in 2014 and officially put into operation. For more than 20 years, RAL has been focusing on the key common technical issues in the development of the metallurgical industry, carrying out research work on high-quality and low-cost green rolling technology, researching and developing major metallurgical equipment and industrialization, developing high-quality steel and non-ferrous metal materials, and has provided original theoretical and key technical reserves for technological innovation in the rolling field. As China's core force in the transition process from a “follower” to the “leader” in the rolling field, it is the main advocator and promoter of the “China Philosophy” of “green manufacturing and manufacturing green” in the world steel industry.
RAL has broken through the bottleneck that restricts the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and explored a new path for the development of state-level key laboratories, which is in line with China's national conditions and has distinctive characteristics, through refining the full-chain innovation model of “basic research→ technology development → engineering transformation → industry promotion (R&DES)” and adopting the “process-equipment-material integration” model to implement the transformation of achievements.
RAL has a high-level and well-structured research team led by Prof. Wang Guodong, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering. They are highly motivated, pragmatic, efficient, cross-disciplined and innovative. At present, the team has 20 professors and 30 associate professors; and also boasts one academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, one member in the National High Level Talents Special Support Plan (also known as “Ten Thousand Plan”, one member from “The Thousand Talents Plan for Young Professionals”, two members awarded the “National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars”, four members elected to “Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University”, eleven members elected to “Hundred Talents” in the “Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talent Project of Liaoning”, and one “Key Field Innovation Team” in “National Program for Innovation Talents”.
RAL has always attached great importance to organizing and undertaking various national projects. In recent years, RAL has hosted three projects in “13th Five-Year Plan National Key R&D Program”, and many other national projects in 863 Program, 973 Program, national natural science fund and national key technologies R&D projects. RAL has also undertaken nearly one thousand horizontal projects, with project fund reaching approximately RMB 3 billion. What's more, RAL has won a total of 11 national science and technology progress awards, one national technical invention award, 84 provincial and ministerial science and technology awards, published more than 3,900 research papers and 69 books, and obtained more than 280 invention patents.
RAL has a space of 7000 square meters for offices and experimental facilities, and has established three key research platforms, i.e. “Technological Process Simulation and Optimization Research Platform”, “Metal Microstructure and Property Testing Research Platform”, and “Control System Parameter Testing and Debugging Research Platform”. So far, RAL has developed more than 20 sets of rolling research equipments,
and 149 sets of complete experimental and testing equipments, which provide favorable conditions for high level scientific research, personnel training and opening to the outside world.
Operating with the “open, flowing, joint, and competitive” mechanism, RAL has attracted many researchers and scholars both home and abroad to carry out cooperative research, through setting up open projects, establishing a visiting scholar system, and establishing joint laboratories with well-known domestic and foreign companies and research institutes.
Contact:
Address: Southeast of Metallurgy Building in Northeastern University
Website: http://www.ral.neu.edu.cn/en/
Name: Ying Zhang
Tel: 024-83687220
Fax：024-23906472 E-mail:
Post Address: 105# Post box, Northeastern University, Shenyang City
Post code: 110819