MTI Looks Back at 2019 Accomplishments

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!

LOW FORCE, HIGH IMPACT 

Continuing the momentum from years prior, MTI kicked off 2019 with an even stronger emphasis on furthering the development of our newest solid-state joining technology, Low-Force Friction Welding.  2019 provided several opportunities for us to explore how Low Force Friction Welding could be beneficial to more industries, including rail and specific aerospace applications, such as blisks.

That continued and aggressive research helped pave the way for a critical collaboration with EWI, which aims to further the development of Low Force Friction Welding. 

Our relationship with EWI also allowed us to make significant progress on our microwelder in 2019, which is capable of joining the smallest of parts with the same value-added benefits provided by Low-Force Friction Welding.

You can read more about the exciting cooperation project here.

HEAVY LIFTING

Another product of continued success and hard work from previous years, 2019 produced a new milestone for our LF35-75 machine. The state-of-the-art linear friction welder officially became operational at the LIFT facility in Detroit, Michigan. The machine, which has the largest tooling envelope of any linear friction welder in the world, is now available for full-scale development work for a variety of industries.

MTI shipped the 22' by 14' friction welder in October of 2018. We continue to run and maintain the machine on-site in Detroit.

You can learn more and schedule your development work here.

FINDING A NEW PURPOSE

The LF35-75 wasn't the only MTI-built machine to find a new home in 2019. Two MTI rotary friction welding machines are now helping reduce material consumption and increase productivity at the University of Strathclyde's Advanced Forming Research Center.

The 125 and 300-ton friction welders are the biggest of their kind at any UK research center, and will be crucial in offering energy efficient, low-cost solutions for companies across a wide range of industries.

The tri-mode rotary machines were previously housed at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry.

EXPANDING OUR CAPABILITIES 

While MTI excitedly watched plenty of completed machines leave our shop, we also celebrated the arrival of some new machines at our Manufacturing Services building.

2019 brought two CNC machines from Hurco, which have vastly expanded our in-house, pre and post-weld capabilities. The lathe and five-axis mill will ultimately drive down costs and streamline the production process for customers across all industries.

Jobs that may have been impossible to complete with our previous setup can now be accomplished with our new offerings.

In addition to our new CNC machines, our Manufacturing Services division also continued to develop its plug welding capabilities, which is ideal for the aerospace industry. To learn more about plug welding and how it could help your company save time and money, check out this blog.

PLUGGING AWAY 

As more reports emerge about the rapid growth of electric vehicles across the world, MTI used 2019 as a springboard for pursuing the benefits of friction welding for this greener form of transportation. 

Though MTI is dedicated to joining parts for combustion engines and is proud of our history with traditional automobile manufacturers, we are eager to discover all of the ways friction welding can help make electric vehicles more efficient. 

You can explore all the potential benefits of friction welding for electric vehicles here. 

WHEELS UP

We covered a lot of ground in 2019 – and we have the frequent flyer miles to prove it! 

The year brought roughly a half-dozen visits and exhibitions at trade shows around the globe. 

MTI looks forward to opportunities that allow us to educate and connect with new customers about the advantages of friction welding and how it can help improve their processes.

2020 VISION

We could write several more paragraphs about things that happened or feats we accomplished in 2019 that make us proud, but now, we're focused on tackling 2020 and showing you why friction welding could be the best fit for your next project!

If you'd like to learn more about Low Force Friction Welding, our expanded CNC capabilities, friction welding for electric vehicles or any of our other broad offerings, contact us today to begin the conversation.