You may not realize it, but friction welded parts are part of your everyday life. A good example of an everyday application of friction welding can be found in a component used with automobile air bag inflators. This component is found in steering , wheels, glove boxes, dash boards, seats, and side panels, and since every car needs air bags, this component has a very high volume demand. The tricky part is that, due to the intricacy of the specific component shown in the video, it could not be made from a single piece.
Three welds were needed to create three chambers within the part. Since the middle chamber contains explosive pellets, certain welding techniques such as fusion welding cannot be used. Fusion welding would allow excessive heat to soak into the chamber causing an explosion during production.
Instead, by using rotary friction welding not only can this component be produced safely, but it can also be produced quickly. Here’s why friction welding is the smarter option:
Thanks to the friction welding process, these air bag components can be produced in high volume without any safety concerns during production.
Solutions Customized For You
MTI was founded on the goal of solving problems for customers. And with facilities located around the world, we are ready to take on your toughest challenges and find solutions that are completely customized to you. We’ll build a machine that makes your part, we’ll make the part for you, or we’ll help you make the part even better.
To learn more about friction welding, visit our website or watch how friction welding can be put to work for you.