Machine Talk Blog

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!

In many ways, the Automotive industry is one of the most diverse and unique industries that MTI serves. Though the projects don't involve sending spacecraft into orbit like some of our Aerospace jobs, the demands of this ever-changing industry keep us on our toes and inspire us to keep thinking ahead.

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.

For decades, MTI has successfully joined hundreds of applications across multiple industries using our traditional friction welding process. However, with the introduction of our newest solid-state joining technology, Low Force Friction Welding,  you may now be wondering whether it's time to consider switching to Low Force - even if you've relied on our traditional process for years.

It's a scenario you've likely encountered at least once.

You have two metals you want to join, but you're not sure which welding technology is the best fit for your application.

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.

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.

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

The whir of machines, the beep of a forklift— a manufacturing floor isn't exactly a place you'd go to find some peace and quiet. But nestled among the hustle and bustle of MTI's Manufacturing Services building, you'll find a much quieter place; one that fosters thorough analyses and a methodical evaluation process that's one part science, one part art.

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.

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

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.

If you've been following along with our Whiteboard Wednesdays series, by now, you are likely beginning to understand some of the key benefits of Low Force Friction Welding.

In this episode, we will walk you through one of the biggest advantages of Low Force — the ability to accomplish little to no interior flash (ID.)

In our last episode of Whiteboard Wednesday, we introduced you to a brand-new style of solid-state joining, Low-Force Friction Welding.

For decades, MTI has been using friction welding to create unique joining solutions for customers across a variety of industries.

WELDING PROBLEMS THE RAIL INDUSTRY FACES TODAY

For decades, railroad companies have been welding 80-foot rails to form Continuous Welded Rails (CWRs) that span from 400 feet to several miles. To accomplish this, they’ve heavily relied on two forms of welding: thermite and flash-butt. However, despite the wide use of these two processes, a significant percentage of railroad failures are a result of low-quality welds.

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.