Machine Talk Blog

The whir of machines, the beep of a forklift— a manufacturing floor isn't exactly a place you'd go to find some peace and quiet. But nestled among the hustle and bustle of MTI's Manufacturing Services building, you'll find a much quieter place; one that fosters thorough analyses and a methodical evaluation process that's one part science, one part art.

If you haven't seen the recent headlines about manufacturing across the Midwest, allow us to summarize: the skills gap is growing.

Jim Hoffman, MTI's Chief Metallurgist, examines a weld at the Sheridan Street lab.

Resting his face against the eyepiece of a microscope, MTI Chief Metallurgist Jim Hoffman meticulously spins a cluster of knobs, gradually bringing a customer’s latest weld into focus. He squints, rotates another dial then shifts his eyes toward his computer.  His keyboard clicks rhythmically as he adds to the notes sprawled across his two monitors.

Constanza Lengerich (right) chats with controls engineer, Ray Szajko.

Situated in a quiet office on the second floor of MTI’s global headquarters in South Bend, Indiana, Constanza Lengerich carefully examines a new batch of data from her team’s latest weld. The numbers excite and energize her – they signal pivotal progress in the company’s research and development of a new form of solid-state joining, Low-Force Friction Welding.