Machine Talk Blog

Long before the word "Tesla" spurred any thoughts beyond the iconic inventor of the 1800s, companies around the world were relying on friction welding to join their parts.  But just as automotive technology has shifted throughout the decades, friction welding has followed right along, aligning with the demands of the modern consumer and commercial vehicle market.

Friction welding offers a world of possibility for all types of industries, and MTI is a global leader in this highly adaptable technology. Our engineers are continually innovating and creating new solutions to difficult manufacturing challenges.

One place friction welding technology is making a difference, is in the oil and gas industry. With durable welds that can stand up to incredible stress, friction welding is a practical response to the demands that are put on drill pipes, manifold tubes, valves, perf-gun tubes, actuation balls, and more.

MTI is proud to announce its involvement in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research project, which focuses on the durability of friction welds created with dissimilar metals.

Following a nearly seven-week closure of our buildings amid the COVID-19 pandemic, MTI reopened its doors on May 11 to resume US operations after Indiana's governor deemed it was safe for non-essential manufacturers to do so.

The world of friction welding is vast -- and so is the vocabulary used to describe it! We've compiled a list of the most commonly used friction welding terms -- from machine components to MTI's processes -- to help you grow your engineering mind!

You might not realize it yet, but friction welded parts are all around us, from the cars you drive to the planes you fly in.

Here’s a look at some everyday objects you never knew were friction welded:

Friction welding is rooted in a fairly simple, yet effective concept: make good parts great and strong parts even stronger.

As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, we want to ensure our customers understand how MTI is responding to the situation and how the restrictions will impact our business operations in the coming weeks.

Whether it's as small as adding a protective case to your new smartphone or as advanced as installing a state-of-the-art security system to monitor your home, it's natural and sensible to want to keep your personal property safe.

2020. We made it.

The confetti has fallen, the noisemakers have been tucked back into storage, and now, we're left with an unfiltered view of both a new year and a new decade (unless you're one of those people who believes the new decade doesn't begin until 2021, but that's a separate discussion.)

Though MTI is eager to dive head-first into 2020, we first want to pause and reflect on our accomplishments from 2019 – after all, without them, we wouldn't be where we are now!

Friction welding is not a one-size-fits-all process — that's what makes it such a versatile joining method.  It's just as effective for joining components that you can fit in the palm of your hand as it is for joining parts that require a crane to move from one place to another.

Technology innovator EWI is pleased to introduce Manufacturing Technology, Inc, as its newest Strategic Technology Member. Together, EWI and MTI, a leading manufacturer of inertia, direct drive, and hybrid friction welders, will work in collaboration to advance the new hybrid joining technology known as low force friction welding.

You've read our blogs, you've watched our videos and you feel like you have a basic understanding of how friction welding works.

Adding to its growing list of value-added services, MTI’s Manufacturing Services division has welcomed two new CNC machines to its 117-thousand square-foot facility.

GLASGOW — Two MTI-built rotary friction welding machines have found a new and purposeful home at the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), which specializes in innovative manufacturing technologies, metal forming and forging research.

When it comes to aerospace and automotive applications, bigger isn't always better.  In fact, companies invest a lot of time and money into figuring out how to trim the weight of their critical parts.

DETROIT – The first and only linear friction welder capable of full-sized part development in North America is now fully operational and ready for project work at LIFT - Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow, a national manufacturing innovation facility operated by the American Lightweight Materials Innovation Institute, in Detroit.

Steel and Inconel: they look similar, but metallurgically speaking, they’re two very different materials. They melt at different temperatures, they have different densities and their forgeabilities vary greatly.

Kingswinford, UK – MTI Welding Technologies, Ltd. is building a state-of-the-art friction welding machine for a leading truck manufacturer in Europe.

South Bend, Ind. - Recently recognized for its role in high-profile space missions, Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) is gearing up to showcase its friction welding expertise to some of the biggest aerospace influencers in the nation.

Technology and infrastructure have certainly grown over the past 49 years, but so has MTI's commitment to helping our environment.

Friction Welding has become the premier choice for companies looking to join dissimilar metals.  Because Friction Welding is a solid-state joining process that does not require melting, it allows for the bonding of two metals, such as Copper and Aluminum, that may be impossible to join with more traditional welding techniques.

With fusion welding processes like MIG and TIG welding, it can be challenging to join dissimilar metals because they often differ substantially in composition and physical, mechanical and metallurgical properties.

At MTI’s Manufacturing Services, we do more than bond parts together; we provide you with a proven, turnkey solution. Whether you need help with just one portion of the friction welding process or want guidance every step of the way, MTI’s team of highly skilled engineers is ready to help.

Tom Budd, MTI Friction Welding Solutions Manager, poses in the MTI booth at the Pacific Design & Manufacturing Show in Anaheim, California

More companies than ever now understand the benefits of Friction Welding, thanks to MTI's recent appearance at the Pacific Design & Manufacturing Show.

Jamie Clews (right) looks over the controls on a machine.

In part five of MTI's Eyes of an Engineer series, we sit down with Global Controls Technical Lead Jamie Clews.  Read on to see how an MTI college program transformed into a full-time job and a move to a new country for Jamie.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The friction welding experts at Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) are helping welcome the next generation of American space travel and preparing to launch NASA astronauts on missions to deep space through the world’s only exploration-class space systems: NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion spacecraft and the Exploration Ground Systems that launch these vehicles.   

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Continuing its longtime dedication to excellence, Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) has renewed its AS9100 certification, a key quality indicator for companies working in the aerospace and defense industries.

As the global leader in Friction Welding, Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) is always looking forward, searching for ways to help put the future of innovative manufacturing into customers’ hands.

  SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 9, 2018: Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) has shipped North America’s first linear friction welder capable of full sized part development to the LIFT - Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow facility in Detroit where it will contribute to cutting edge lightweighting research in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Jamie Clews (MTI Global Controls Technical Lead), Brian Roberts (MTI Manufacturing Operations Lead), Scott Knoll (Amerisure Senior Risk Management Consultant), Daniel C. Adams (MTI President & CEO), Mark Wobbe (Gibson Principal, Risk Advisor), MariClare Osborn (MTI Director of Human Resources), and Jeff Lovin (MTI Director of Technical Operations).  

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 28, 2018:  Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) today was awarded for outstanding safety performance by Amerisure Insurance Company. MTI was presented the award at its world headquarters in South Bend, IN after maintaining 365 days without a recordable incident. The last time the company achieved this was in 2005.  Additionally, MTI has sustained an impressive 419 days without a loss time incident during the period beginning on July 2017 through September 2018.

For four decades, MTI has been a global leader in friction welding technology — a forging technique that offers many advantages over traditional, fusion welding. With the ability to create super-strong bonds of virtually any size, friction welding is uniquely capable of serving a broad spectrum of industries.

One industry in which we are constantly innovating, is that of aerospace. With changing priorities and advancing technologies that create more demanding joining applications, MTI is continually adapting the rotary and linear friction welding processes to meet the demands of aerospace engineers and manufacturers .

In our fourth installment of Eyes of an Engineer, we introduce you to junior service engineer James Lovell and junior design engineer Luke Barratt.  Luke and James both graduated from MTI’s apprenticeship program in February of 2018.

Discover why they chose MTI, what they learned, and where they’re headed next.

In our third installment of Eyes of an Engineer, we introduce you to Tori Zellerhoff and Margot Hughan.  They began working at MTI as part of their capstone thesis for Notre Dame’s Master’s Program in Entrepreneurship, Technology, & Innovation (ESTEEM).

Combining technology with entrepreneurship, the two developed a business plan and go-to-market strategy for MTI’s latest technology, low force friction welding. 

Find out how they got started, what they learned at MTI, and what they enjoyed most about the experience.

South Bend, IN - October 6, 2017:  Manufacturing Technology, Inc (MTI) opened its doors to area high schoolers in celebration of Manufacturing Day. The nation-wide event introduces the next generation of workers to high-skilled careers in modern manufacturing.

Students from Riley, Washington, and Adams High School attended the event, which was held at MTI’s world headquarters. 

SOUTH BEND, IN -- Former astronaut Brian Duffy along with representatives from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Orbital ATK acknowledged Manufacturing Technology, Inc (MTI) for its contributions to the NASA Space Launch System (SLS).

MTI has gained global recognition for designing and building the most advanced, customized friction welding machines—including the world’s largest inertia friction welder.

While we are proud of building the largest rotary and linear friction welders in the world, we have also designed and built hundreds of smaller friction welding machines. 

And that’s where the SPARTAN product line comes in, providing a high quality and cost-effective solution.

Unscheduled downtimes can result in significant financial losses and consume the maintenance department. That’s why refurbishing your old friction welding machine has several cost-saving advantages. 

If you’re falling behind or having difficulty meeting quality compliance, an MTI upgrade may be just what you need. 

Here are 5 signs to look for:  

Leveraging the latest in advanced rotary friction welding technology, MTI’s newest double axle machine increases efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness in axle production. 

Here are the three things you need to know about MTI’s latest double axle machine:  

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Jim Hoffman (Chief Metallurgist and Quality Assurance), Sherri Lotter (Inside Sales Coordinator), Zach Danko (Process Engineer), Jordan Walser (Process Engineer), Jacob Smith (Production Manager), Gabe Hostetter (Process Engineer).

SOUTH BEND, IN - To demonstrate a continued commitment to quality, Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) announces that they have been successful in achieving Nadcap accreditation for welding at their Sheridan Street location. 

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Bob Besse (MTI VP Sales & Marketing), Jeanette Lapehn (MTI Spare Parts Manager), Mike Laiman (MTI Manufacturing Services Business Unit Manager), Dan Adams (MTI President & CEO), Brian Roberts (MTI Manufacturing Operations Lead), Mohamed Elnaggar (AR Specialist Engineer), David Sherman (AR Manufacturing Engineer), Heath Cheung (AR Project Engineer), Kent Majewski (AR Associate Engineer), James Bartlett (AR Sr. Specialist Engineer).

SOUTH BEND, IN - Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AJRD), has recognized Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) for its work on the RS-25 rocket engine, a key element of NASA’s space exploration program.  MTI was instrumental in the refurbishment of the inertia welder and production inertia welding for the RS-25 Main Injector. 

When a 261 metric ton airplane lands or a medivac helicopter is headed to the hospital—that is no time for a critical component to fail.

MTI understands this. That’s why we’re NADCAP* accredited. Our aerospace partners like GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Boeing, and Honeywell trust the quality of MTI’s welded parts.  

 SOUTH BEND, IN - Ball Aerospace has recognized Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) for outstanding technical performance on the TIRS-02 Program, a NASA initiative which uses thermal infrared sensors to measure the Earth’s temperature.  MTI played an integral role by joining together titanium and copper for the TIRS-02 Cryocooler, which is used on the Landsat Data Continuity satellite.

“We were thrilled to work with Ball Aerospace and work together to find a joining solution that met their needs” said Mike Laiman, MTI’s Manufacturing Services Business Unit Manager.  “Collaboration was key to our success.”

SOUTH BEND, IN - Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) today announced changes to the company’s leadership team, as well as the addition of three outside Board of Director members.  The changes are part of the company’s focus on new product development, operations, and sales.

Dan Adams, who is currently MTI’s President and one of the company’s fourth generation owners, is assuming the role of CEO.  He will continue overseeing the company’s recently launched new product development efforts. 

Every day, the engineers at MTI are working to solve complex manufacturing challenges through diverse applications of friction welding. They design the machines that help make our customers’ parts even better — and they’re passionate about their work.

Today, we’re pleased to introduce you to three of them: JT, Matt, and Susannah. They’ll tell you how they got here, and what they love about working at MTI.

SOUTH BEND, IN – Manufacturing Technology Inc., (MTI) announced it will develop North America’s largest Linear Friction Welder, in terms of force capacity and tooling envelope, and deliver it to LIFT – Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow – for use in lightweight metals research and development projects, based in Detroit.

Friction welding is a forging technique that produces ultra-strong bonds for diverse applications. This process has been the answer to many manufacturing and engineering challenges for over five decades. From aerospace to automotive, friction welding is continually opening the possibilities for ongoing technological advancement.

Friction welding offers a wealth of solutions to tough manufacturing problems. Thanks to key advantages — such as consistent quality, the ability to join different metals together, and reduced material waste — friction welding is a time-efficient and cost-effective way to produce new parts. Friction welding is a powerful process that not only provides forged quality components, but gives engineers the confidence that the part will meet the quality standards of their application.

SOUTH BEND, IN-  As part of an ongoing strategy of investing in and adapting to the best market opportunities, Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) is proactively realigning its US machine build and corporate operations.  This allows the company to be more cost competitive, and will result in 24 positions being eliminated or reassigned. MTI’s UK operation is not affected.

MTI’s US business is built around large complex friction welding machines, a successful niche, but only a small portion of the global market.  The global friction welding machine market is dominated by smaller automated machines.  This is a segment where the US operation has become much less cost competitive over time.

When manufacturing critical components for applications such as transportation, space flight, oil & gas, construction, and the military, quality isn’t just important — it’s absolutely essential. Implementing a trusted joining technology allows components to reach the desired quality and durability.