Machine Talk Blog

If you asked 10 of our customers what friction welding looks like to them, chances are, they'd all have different answers.

To some, it's a solid-state method used to join parts that can fit in your pocket.  And to others, it's the only technology suitable for joining parts complex and large enough to help an engine lift a jet off the ground. Most other answers, though, would likely fall somewhere in between those two scenarios.

Practice makes perfect: it’s an old saying, but one that continues to ring true in just about every aspect of life – especially when it comes to manufacturing.

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!

It's true - no two friction welding applications are the same. But no matter the part, the intent or the industry, there is one common goal we hope to achieve with each project we handle: create a component that is fit-for-purpose and can be ultimately joined on a production machine.

So, how do we accomplish this?

Using our friction welding and solid state joining know-how, MTI has developed, designed, and manufactured low force friction welding machines that are operating in industry today.

Solid-state welding processes are a group of technologies in which joining is accomplished without melting the individual substrates. In these processes, bonding is accomplished by a combination of heating and forging. Heating is used to both lower the flow stresses enabling forging, as well as promote diffusion between the individual substrates. Common variations of these processes include flash-butt, upset, projection, and mash-seam welding, as well as friction-based welding processes such as direct-drive, inertia, and linear friction welding.

When you think of friction welding, you likely imagine a highly engineered machine bringing two materials together and performing a solid-state weld using either a rotary, linear or stir motion.

From Low Force Friction Welding to Friction Stir Welding, MTI specializes in several different types of friction welding processes. But in this article, we will explore our Inertia Rotary Friction Welding technology and explain how it works and outline how it could be beneficial in your next project.

Total indicator runout, or TIR, is a term often used in manufacturing, especially when dealing with rotating parts.  Other names include total indicator reading, or more recently, full indicator movement (FIM).  TIR is simply the difference between the maximum and minimum values measured across an entire rotating surface about a reference axis.

It's our newest technology and has the potential to revolutionize solid-state joining as we know it - Low Force Friction Welding is here to stay and since its inception, we've learned a lot about its potential in all of the industries that MTI serves.

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:

Throughout the past few episodes of Whiteboard Wednesdays, we've walked you through some of the key benefits of Low Force Friction Welding.