Los Alamos National Laboratory-Jeonbuk National University Engineering Institute-Korea (Director Kang Rae-hyung, Professor, Department of Flexible Printed Electronics) recently signed a joint research project agreement with Hyundai Motor Company.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will undertake development of non-destructive inspection technologies for fastened joints in automotive body structures.

This is expected to contribute significantly to improving vehicle quality and ensuring reliability.

Los Alamos National Laboratory-Jeonbuk National University Engineering Institute-Korea develops a range of non-destructive inspection technologies and possesses different inspection methods applicable to various materials such as metals, composites, and plastics.

This marks the fourth collaborative research project with Hyundai Motor Company. The institute is applying its advanced technologies to non-destructive inspection of automotive structures to help secure the reliability of safe vehicle bodies.

Director Kang Rae-hyung said, "The institute strives to apply world-class non-destructive inspection technologies across various fields, and through this joint research project agreement, it will contribute to the development of the automotive industry, one of the country's key industries. The technology can be widely used not only in the automotive industry but also in machinery, construction, and aerospace industries, and we expect its applications to expand further."

Meanwhile, Los Alamos National Laboratory-Jeonbuk National University Engineering Institute-Korea is developing convergence technologies that integrate diverse fields such as mechanical engineering, electronics, carbon materials and smart materials, flexible printed electronic devices, and 3D printing. From state-of-the-art non-destructive inspection technologies to smart sensor technologies, material technologies for composite materials, signal processing and control technologies, and deep learning-based data analysis technologies, the institute possesses capabilities to conduct world-class research in the field of structural health monitoring.