Machine Talk Blog

Global joining solutions provider MTI has collaborated with technology company HMK, the Siemens motion partner, to pioneer the development of a double axle friction welding machine worth in excess of $2.4 million for one of the world’s leading trailer manufacturers.

South Bend, IN - October 6, 2017:  Manufacturing Technology, Inc (MTI) opened its doors to area high schoolers in celebration of Manufacturing Day. The nation-wide event introduces the next generation of workers to high-skilled careers in modern manufacturing.

Students from Riley, Washington, and Adams High School attended the event, which was held at MTI’s world headquarters. 

SOUTH BEND, IN -- Former astronaut Brian Duffy along with representatives from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Orbital ATK acknowledged Manufacturing Technology, Inc (MTI) for its contributions to the NASA Space Launch System (SLS).

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Jim Hoffman (Chief Metallurgist and Quality Assurance), Sherri Lotter (Inside Sales Coordinator), Zach Danko (Process Engineer), Jordan Walser (Process Engineer), Jacob Smith (Production Manager), Gabe Hostetter (Process Engineer).

SOUTH BEND, IN - To demonstrate a continued commitment to quality, Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) announces that they have been successful in achieving Nadcap accreditation for welding at their Sheridan Street location. 

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Bob Besse (MTI VP Sales & Marketing), Jeanette Lapehn (MTI Spare Parts Manager), Mike Laiman (MTI Manufacturing Services Business Unit Manager), Dan Adams (MTI President & CEO), Brian Roberts (MTI Manufacturing Operations Lead), Mohamed Elnaggar (AR Specialist Engineer), David Sherman (AR Manufacturing Engineer), Heath Cheung (AR Project Engineer), Kent Majewski (AR Associate Engineer), James Bartlett (AR Sr. Specialist Engineer).

SOUTH BEND, IN - Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AJRD), has recognized Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) for its work on the RS-25 rocket engine, a key element of NASA’s space exploration program.  MTI was instrumental in the refurbishment of the inertia welder and production inertia welding for the RS-25 Main Injector. 

SOUTH BEND, IN - Ball Aerospace has recognized Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) for outstanding technical performance on the TIRS-02 Program, a NASA initiative which uses thermal infrared sensors to measure the Earth’s temperature.  MTI played an integral role by joining together titanium and copper for the TIRS-02 Cryocooler, which is used on the Landsat Data Continuity satellite.

“We were thrilled to work with Ball Aerospace and work together to find a joining solution that met their needs” said Mike Laiman, MTI’s Manufacturing Services Business Unit Manager.  “Collaboration was key to our success.”

SOUTH BEND, IN - Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) today announced changes to the company’s leadership team, as well as the addition of three outside Board of Director members.  The changes are part of the company’s focus on new product development, operations, and sales.

Dan Adams, who is currently MTI’s President and one of the company’s fourth generation owners, is assuming the role of CEO.  He will continue overseeing the company’s recently launched new product development efforts. 

SOUTH BEND, IN – Manufacturing Technology Inc., (MTI) announced it will develop North America’s largest Linear Friction Welder, in terms of force capacity and tooling envelope, and deliver it to LIFT – Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow – for use in lightweight metals research and development projects, based in Detroit.

SOUTH BEND, IN-  As part of an ongoing strategy of investing in and adapting to the best market opportunities, Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) is proactively realigning its US machine build and corporate operations.  This allows the company to be more cost competitive, and will result in 24 positions being eliminated or reassigned. MTI’s UK operation is not affected.

MTI’s US business is built around large complex friction welding machines, a successful niche, but only a small portion of the global market.  The global friction welding machine market is dominated by smaller automated machines.  This is a segment where the US operation has become much less cost competitive over time.

SOUTH BEND, IN - September 16, 2016: Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) reconnected with leadership guru and award-winning author David Marquet.

During an Executive Forums Leadership Summit attended by MTI and other organizations, Marquet demonstrated the importance of leading with intent. Marquet believes the ideal workplace is one where everyone participates and contributes their full intellectual capacity.

Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) announced that the company has finalized the purchase of ProSpot, a resistance welding company located in Tamworth, United Kingdom.  The acquisition doubles the size of MTI’s UK subsidiary and serves as a springboard into further European expansion.

Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) today announced that the company has finalized the purchase of a 127,000 square foot building located on Sheridan Avenue in South Bend. The new facility will more than double the size of the company’s growing Manufacturing Services division, which designs, develops, and produces friction welded parts for the aerospace, automotive, and medical device industries. The building was formally owned by the Mohawk Door division of Masonite International Corporation.

Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) is saddened to announce that Bob Adams passed away on June 28th after a yearlong battle with liver cancer. He was 46. Bob, along with his brother Daniel and sister Jennifer, comprised the fourth generation of company owners and was a member of the Board of Directors.

Manufacturing Technology, Inc., has shipped the world’s largest capacity linear friction welding machine, to Pratt & Whitney’s world-class Middletown facility in Connecticut. The machine will be used to friction-weld critical aircraft engine components to support Pratt & Whitney’s most advanced military programs and next generation product family.

One of the world’s largest aerospace companies has awarded Manufacturing Technology, Inc., a contract worth approximately $25 million for three aerospace Rotary Friction Welding (RFW) machines to be developed and built in South Bend over a twoyear period. One of the machines being built will be the world’s largest Rotary Friction Welder, with inertia capacity twice that of any other machine on the planet. This contract, along with other recent orders, has resulted in the hiring of six new employees with an additional 11 open positions at the company’s South Bend location.

Manufacturing Technology, Inc. has established a working relationship with Bond Technologies, Inc., which is licensing certain Friction Stir Welding intellectual property from the company. MTI recently announced that it is exiting the FSW machine building business to focus on other business segments, including contract welding.

Manufacturing Technology, Inc. has announced that it is divesting from the Friction Stir Welding business to better focus on the company’s growing Rotary and Linear business units. As part of that effort, a portion of the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) employees will be reassigned to the Rotary and Linear businesses.

A state of the art Rotary Friction Welding (RFW) machine developed and built by South Bend based Manufacturing Technology Inc., is leaving Michiana to begin a 4,000 mile journey to the United Kingdom. The final destination is the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), a research facility for new manufacturing techniques that bridges the technology readiness gap between development in academia and execution in industry. The machine is designed for research and development on jet engine components for companies like Rolls Royce, General Electric, and Pratt and Whitney.

In January of 2014, George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, a British Cabinet position responsible for economic and financial matters, toured the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) located in Ansty Park, Coventry in January 2014. The Chancellor was duly impressed with the facility and its potential to provide state-of-the art collaborative research to the aerospace industry and advanced manufacturing fields.