LAF is part of the Laprosolda infrastructure. Today Laprosolda consolidates itself as a recognized group in Joining Technology, Repair, Addition, Deposition and Related, whose main characteristics are:
* Created in 1992 with focus on Joining, Repair, Deposition and Related Technologies, Laprosolda consolidated nationally and internationally and produced over 1200 articles, 150 vivas, 60 innovation products and 5 books;
* Over one hundred projects were carried out with government and company funding based on theoretical knowledge and factory floor reality;
* Different accreditations and audits performed, demonstrating infrastructure of hundreds of equipment.
* Physical structure and equipment of high degree of sophistication;
* Team with theoretical knowledge and shop floor reality;
* High involvement with industry, directing research to application;
* Projects with NDA, preserving company and institution;
* Scientific cooperation with national and international agreements;
* Accredited by ANP and EMBRAPII; and
* Participate in training of International Welding Engineers (IWE).

RD&I projects have been developed in partnership with different companies: Aperam, Airbus, Air Products, Belgo Bekaert, Benteler, Binzel, Embraco, Embraer, John Deere, Linde, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Petrobras, TBi, Usiminas, Vale, WEG, Whirlpool, White Martins (Praxair) and local SME, raising US$ 2 mi in last years, besides governmental funding.

The main RD&I lines are:
* Additive Manufacturing;
* Industry 4.0 in Welding;
* Big Data in Welding and AM;
* Artificial Intelligence in Welding and AM;
* Simulation of welding processes, welded structures and fabrication;
* Remote monitoring and control of welding processes (vision, sound, electrical, luminescence sensors and joint tracking);
* Residual Stresses and Mitigation (Stress Relief by Thermal and Vibration Methods);
* Inspection (US Detection in Austenitic Alloys);
* Occupational health and safety (fumes, radiation and electromagnetic fields);
* Derivative arc-welding processes;
* Weldability of C-Mn steels, alloyed steels, API, AHSS, stainless steels, Al, Ti, Ni, cast iron;
* Hardfacing (sugar-cane industry) and corrosion (nuclear) overlays;
* Corrosion in welded joints;
* Underwater mechanized wet welding;
* Resistance welding (MFDC and AC);
* Phenomenology of metal transfer (kinematics and dynamics);
* Physics of the electric arc.

The equipment available include:
* 21 power sources for arc and resistance welding
* 4 robots
* 3 wire-arc additive manufacturing cells
* 1 X-Ray diffractometer (residual stress)
* 3 high-speed cameras
* 1 portable fluorescence x-ray analyzer
* 1 portable 3D-scanner
* 2 IR cameras
* 2 orbital systems
* 3 xyz tables
* 3 fume extractor/sampling machine
* 1 tensile testing machine
* 1 emission spectrometer
* 3 gas analysers
* 2 liquid N2 calorimeter
* 1 waterjet cutting machine
* 14 DAQ systems including Wi-Fi
* NDT’s
* Metallurgical analysis equipment
* Dedicated computers for numeric simulation