Machine Talk Blog

It's no secret Friction Welding is a highly scientific process; it involves a lot of calculations, engineering and research to get it right. But thanks to the MTI-engineered control system found on each of our friction welding machines, you can trust our technology to do the complex work for you on your shop floor!

In friction welding, we always strive toward repeatability—even when there are differences in the length of incoming parts.  This is especially true in the automotive and aerospace industry where finished parts are held to rigid standards.  Using Torque Modulation with Dynamic Profile Modification, we’re able to ensure our first welded part is the same length as our last welded part. 

Our customers—especially those in the automotive industry—rely on repeatable upset in order to meet tight part tolerances.  Remember, upset is the amount of shortening of the two parts as a result of friction welding.

 When it comes to friction welding, we want to work towards repeatability, even when there are incoming part variations.  But how can we do that?  One way is through pressure modulation.

Inertia friction welding is a variation of the rotary friction welding process. Inertia friction welding uses kinetic energy with applied force to join parts together. The kinetic energy is achieved by the use of flywheels, a set of heavy rotating wheels that are used to store rotational energy. 

Rotary friction welding is a flexible technique that can provide many advantages over traditional fusion welding processes. In order to use the rotary friction welding process, you must have one part that is symmetric around its rotating axis. The non-rotating component, can also be symmetrical but does not have to be.

There are three main types of rotary friction welding—Inertia, direct drive and hybrid friction welding. Each technique offers a unique advantage depending upon the type of materials being welded as well as the shape or geometries of the materials. Let’s take a look at some application examples.