MTI UK 
FWT
When you think of 2022, what will you remember?
Surely a lot happened within those 365 days – but whatever comes to mind, for the first time in 2 years, at least it won’t be Covid!
As MTI looks back at what 2022 will be remembered for, please join us in recounting the successes, new opportunities, and changes that we had.
Manufacturing Community Reconnects
For the first time since 2018, the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) took place in September giving our customers and our team the chance to reconnect face-to-face again.
From left to right: Kevin Grewe, Gary Kopczynski and Robert Wilkes, MTI Account Managers at IMTS.
While the world was on shutdown, MTI’s engineers were still hard at work bringing Friction Welding technologies to life. This was the first time at IMTS that MTI was able to showcase our newest Low Force Friction Welding technology. MTI is the only organization in the world to have developed, designed, and manufactured Low Force Friction production machines that are operating in industry today.
While most of our team was at IMTS, one of our Account Managers, Tim Jennings, was busy making connections at the Oil Sands Tradeshow in Alberta, Canada! The M.A.R.I.O.S. program, Materials and Reliability in Oil Sands, was represented at the show continuing their search to address industry-wide issues. On behalf of MTI, Jennings was honored to be invited as a guest of the M.A.R.I.O.S. program to their November meeting regarding new solutions for the industry. MTI’s LF35-75 machine brought interest from many of the major oil sands producers. The LF35-75 offers the oil sands and mining industries a solution that has previously not been available – full scale joining of production components! Business wasn’t the only connection while at the Oil Sands Tradeshow, Jennings and his colleagues were able to create bonds over golf!
Read more on our experience at IMTS.
A Growing, Global Company
In November of 2022, MTI announced our acquisition of Friction Welding Technologies Ltd. Pvt. (FWT). FWT is a Direct Drive Friction Welding company based in India with which MTI has partnered for several years. Back in 2017, MTI formalized a partnership with FWT with a line of Direct Drive Friction Welders under the brand name “Spartan”. As the result of a successful multi-year partnership, aligning values and opportunity for expansion, MTI is pleased to welcome FWT to the family.
From left to right: Devyani and Yatin Tambe, founders of FWT, and Dan Adams, MTI's CEO and President.
You can read the full press release here or request access to the FWT whitepaper here.
Friction Welding Fit for Space
The entire world had eyes on NASA and its Artemis I program in 2022 – and for MTI, we not only had our eyes but also our hands on Artemis! NASA’s Artemis program aims to send the first woman and next man to the moon by 2024!
Left: NASA's Artemis spacecraft upon take-off. Right: NASA's Artemis spacecraft after a successful splash-down. Both pictures are courtesy of NASA.
NASA relied on MTI engineers and experts alike to friction weld critical parts for the historical space mission. Aerojet Rocketdyne chose MTI as its trusted partner for the RS-25 engine program. MTI uses a custom-engineered friction welder at our Manufacturing Services location in South Bend, to help weld Artemis into space.
Read more about our role in the mission to mars or check out our case study with Aerojet Rocketdyne!
The Low Force Innovation Area
In mid-2022, MTI started the process of creating what we call the Low Force Innovation Area. Our Low Force technology and machines are breakthroughs in the Friction Welding industry, and we wanted to make sure we had a space that told the story.
Our Innovation Area is located at MTI’s headquarters in South Bend, Indiana and features multiple Low Force lab machines, sample Low Force parts on display, and accompanying signs that help to tell the story of Low Force for touring customers and visitors. In the months to come, MTI hopes to build a newly designed office space for our dedicated Low Force engineers that will also serve as a welcoming space for visitors.
Staying Connected
We have a few common phrases at MTI: the “MTI family” and “One-MTI”, both serve as reminders that no matter what team you’re on or what location you’re at, you are a part of something bigger. Every year, we like to host gatherings during the holidays to say thank you to our dedicated team and to stay connected. This year we started off the holiday traditions on Memorial Day where MTI employees competed in a cornhole tournament and enjoyed fellowship over lunch. For Halloween, we hosted our annual “choup-off” (chili and soup) contest where past champions and new entrants went head-to-head for the prestigious title. Three chili and three soup winners were chosen, but really, the taste-testers were the real winners! Our Halloween gathering also gave employees the chance to dress-up and compete for the best costume voted by their colleagues.
Our top three winners for the 2022 Halloween costume contest!
The last celebration of the year was our annual Christmas/Holiday party. This year we had a catered polish lunch which was a fan favorite! Our employees had the chance to participate in a Secret Santa gift exchange as well as compete for another prestigious title: Trivia winner!
Forging our Future
MTI always welcomes the opportunity to work with interns! In 2022, we worked with seven interns across six cross-functional teams including accounting, marketing, and engineering. Our interns represented two local high schools and five different colleges and universities, contributing to our diverse culture. Interns always bring something new and special to MTI, and we learn from them as mentors as much as they learn from us. During their time with us, interns gain real-world experience by collaborating on current and relevant business projects, contributing to the organization’s success. When leaving MTI to pursue their education or career goals, we know we have left them with a broader skillset and mindset to help forge them into the future as working adults!
We welcome flexible part and full-time intern positions during the traditional summer months as well as year-round opportunities! If you are interested in learning more about or joining the MTI family, please email info@mtiwelding.com, we’re happy to hear from you!
MTI Gives Back
Last but never least, MTI would like to reflect on our community contributions in 2022. Every year, MTI partners with several local organizations to give back to our community.
In 2022, MTI continued our partnership with St. Vincent DePaul Society for the sixth year to donate Thanksgiving meal items to local families. With the help of our generous MTI family, we were able to feed 30 families in the local South Bend area!
MTI also partnered with the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center for its Community Christmas mission. Together, we donated gifts to children in need for the holiday season. Our MTI family continues to be a giving bunch.
MTIW, our UK location, continued their sponsorship of the Black Country Foodbank to support local families in need this holiday season.
About MTI
MTI has established itself as a leader in Friction and Resistance Welding, including Rotary, Linear, Friction Stir and Low Force Friction Welding technologies. In addition to contract Manufacturing Services based in the US and UK, MTI has delivered machines to Boeing, GE, Dana, Pratt and Whitney, Federal Mogul, and many of their tier one suppliers. A family-owned business founded in 1926, MTI employs over 200 people across the world.
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