Masters Intern - Refill Friction Stir Welding – Materials Manufacturing
About The Position
The Applied Materials and Manufacturing Group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking a graduate student intern to support hands-on research and process development in refill friction stir welding. The selected candidate will work with PNNL researchers to develop similar and dissimilar refill friction stir welding joints, operate and support refill FSW machine activities, and help advance understanding of material flow, joint formation, and process-structure-property relationships in challenging material systems. This position is well suited for a student interested in hands-on experimental research, advanced manufacturing, solid-state joining, and materials characterization.
Requirements
- Candidates must be matriculated/enrolled in a Master's program at an accredited college or university.
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.
- Strong commitment to safe, hands-on laboratory work.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to present technical information clearly and concisely.
- Proven ability to learn independently and adapt quickly to new experimental methods and concepts.
- Strong initiative and attention to detail needed to drive experimental tasks to successful completion.
Nice To Haves
- Current enrollment in a Master’s degree program in materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, welding engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a closely related field.
- Prior hands-on experience with refill friction stir welding, friction stir welding, or other solid-state joining processes.
- Experience operating or supporting experimental manufacturing or joining equipment.
- Knowledge of process development for metallic materials, including similar and dissimilar material joining.
- Familiarity with material flow, microstructure evolution, and defect formation in friction stir welding or refill friction stir welding.
Responsibilities
- Support experimental research and development activities related to refill friction stir welding of similar and dissimilar materials.
- Hands-on operation and setup of refill FSW equipment.
- Preparation of welding trials.
- Fixture setup.
- Process parameter development.
- Documentation of experimental conditions.
- Evaluation of weld quality.
- Develop process windows for refill FSW joints, including hard-to-join material combinations.
- Contribute to understanding material flow during refill FSW through experimental observations, sectioning, metallography, microscopy, mechanical testing, and interpretation of weld features.
- Preparing samples.
- Safe laboratory practices.
- Analyzing experimental data.
- Summarizing results.
- Communicating findings in technical meetings, reports, and presentations.
- Work both independently and collaboratively with a multidisciplinary research team.
Benefits
- health insurance
- flexible work schedules
- employee assistance program
- business travel insurance
- company funded pension plan
- 401k savings plan
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
