Pre and Post-Weld Processing Services for Contract Friction Welding: Why It All Matters

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.

A key benefit of working with Manufacturing Services is taking advantage of our pre and post-weld processes.

Here’s how it all works:

The Pre-Weld Process

Before your part even touches a friction welding machine, you can choose from any combination of offerings in our pre-weld process. Each step provides you with a more thorough joining solution. Here are just a few of the options we offer:

• Identifying customer request and overall project requirements
• Managing the complete supply chain
• Maintaining traceability of materials through material certifications
• Metallurgy
• Tooling
• CNC Machining

Identifying Customer Requests & Project Requirements

The most important part of any Manufacturing Services project is identifying your needs and overall project requirements. Depending on your goals, we’ll custom-tailor a joining solution that works for you. 

Why it matters:  With our customer-driven approach, we craft our services to meet the needs of each customer. This means that for some customers, we may handle getting the material and providing a finished product. While for others, we may simply provide an in-process solution. 

A One-Stop Shop for All Your Joining Needs – Supply Chain Management

Think of MTI like a supermarket. We serve as a one-stop shop for all your joining needs. If a customer needs a specific material, such as one that’s aerospace-certified, MTI manages the complete supply chain. 

Why it matters:  This means you don’t have to go through the trouble of ordering, shipping, and storing materials—we’ll do it all for you. 

Maintaining Traceability—We’ve got you covered 

MTI also manages the traceability of materials by acquiring and reviewing material certifications.

Why it matters:  When producing critical components, customers need the peace of mind that their materials are held to their industry’s same high standards.

Metallurgy—Joining Dissimilar Materials

One key advantage of friction welding is the ability to forge dissimilar metals that may otherwise be impossible to join using other welding processes. MTI’s chief metallurgist has decades of experience and can evaluate your material before it’s welded to ensure the weld will be of optimal strength. MTI’s Process Engineers work alongside our in-house metallurgists to ensure the joint strength meets your requirements.

A few of the more popular bimetal combinations include:

• Aluminum and copper
• Titanium and copper
• Aluminum and Inconel
• Aluminum and Steel
• Aluminum and Stainless Steel

Why it matters:  Our in-house metallurgists can spot defects in parts and welds that are impossible to see with the naked eye. Having a solid understanding of a part’s metallurgy is especially crucial for critical parts being used on aircrafts and spacecrafts. Plus, the ability to use bimetals often leads to lower costs for many customers.

Tooling – Making Sure Your Parts Fit

Our customers’ parts are all different shapes and sizes – but so is our tooling! If your part doesn’t fit in existing MTI tooling, we’ll design new tooling for you.

Why it matters:  Friction welding is a very scientific and exact process; we need to ensure every part fits on our machines properly to achieve the best results.

CNC Machining – Making Good Parts Great

MTI’s Manufacturing Services has expansive CNC capabilities. With three machines from Hurco, including a five-axis mill and a lathe with a live tool, we can, in many cases, eliminate the need to send your parts out to other shops for further machining.

The machines can also be used for flash removal or for customizing a part to your exact specifications.

Why it matters:  Having these state-of-the-art machines in-house translates into a better control of the supply chain, shorter lead times and an overall lower cost.

What Is the Post-Weld Process?

Once your part comes off our friction welder, we’re not done with it. Working with MTI’s Manufacturing Services means you have access to infinite post-weld processing.

Here are just a few of the post-weld processes we offer:

• Stress Relief
• Metallurgy
• CNC Machining
• Weld Flash Removal
• Turning
• Milling/grinding
• Heat Treat
• Finished product shipped to our customers

Stress Relief – Maintaining the Integrity of Your Parts

Not all parts and welds are designed to cool naturally. Some require an extra step to ensure the strength is maintained. MTI’s Manufacturing Services offers post-weld stress relief. This process uses ovens to stress-relieve welded assemblies.

Why it matters:  Our ovens can control the rate at which your part cools, ensuring your part’s strength does not change after it comes off a friction welding machine.

Post-Weld Metallurgy

Our metallurgy capabilities extend to after your part is welded. Using our tensile tester and a series of other strength tests, we can ensure the weld meets your requirements.

Why it matters:  It’s important to check your part in our lab both before and after it’s welded to verify the finished result exceeds your expectations.

Finished Product to Our Customers

Keeping the process seamless, MTI also manages testing logistics and then ships the finished product to our customers.

The result? MTI can identify other potential solutions while our customers save both time and money.

Convenient Location

MTI’s US Manufacturing Services location is just a few miles from our global headquarters in South Bend, Indiana. The area is home to several heat-treat and manufacturing shops. Plus, we’re in the heart of the automotive industry.

Why it matters:  When we’re managing your supply chain, our convenient location allows you to keep transport costs to a minimum.

MTI Can Solve Your Problems

We have the onsite services, engineers, metallurgists and quality inspection throughout the process to get the job done. From obtaining materials, to the final stress relief, including destructive and non-destructive testing, and through final machining, MTI provides the highest quality services for our customers.

Quality is at our Core

MTI holds both Nadcap* and AS9100 certifications. Both ensure MTI’s processes align with the strict guidelines set by aerospace and defense industries. Talk with our sales experts today to identify a solution that best meets your needs. We’ll build a machine that makes your part, make the part for you, or help you make the part even better.

To learn more about how MTI’s Manufacturing Services can add value to your project, watch the video below.

*Nadcap is the leading worldwide cooperative program of major companies designed to manage a cost-effective consensus approach to special processes and products and provide continual improvement within the aerospace and automotive industries.

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