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Feasibility Studies and Prototypes
MTI has the best track record in the industry for innovative development of parts - utilizing feasibility studies, weld development and prototypes. The versatility of the friction welding process, in the hands of our experienced contract welding staff, offers new approaches and timely end results for advanced part production. MTI has helped develop hundreds of parts for industries worldwide, using all variations of friction welding.
In the prototype stage, customers can take advantage of MTI's design experience to minimize the number of steps usually required to reach their part production goal - saving time and money. Prior to the production phase, MTI can also recommend material substitutions to reduce component cost and design the welded assembly for optimal manufacturability.
Team with MTI and put your concepts and prototypes into production. Some examples:
Cross-section of inertia welded manifold tubing used on oil well heads
- Creates narrow heat-affected zone
- 100% bond of contact area
- Resulting joints are of forged quality
- Stronger than parent material
- No weld splatter is created
Finished Clutch Drum
- Dissimilar Materials - 4118 carburized and hardened gear to 1045 Drum
- Greatly increase design flexibility
- Choose appropriate materials and material size for each area of part
- Assembly is complete after welding
Water Pump Shaft
- Dissimilar Materials – 420 Stainless steel to 1045 steel forging
- Greatly increase design flexibility
- Choose appropriate materials and material size for each area of part
Stabilizer bars
- Dissimilar Materials – 4130 Steel tubing with 1018-1020 solid ends welded on each end.
- Lightweight, but durable.
- Save weight while maintaining torque and fatigue characteristics
Drive shafts
- Forgings welded to steel tubing
- Lightweight, but durable.
- Save weight while maintaining torque and fatigue characteristics
Track Roller Bushings
- Steel backed, bronze laminate thrust washer to steel sleeve
- Reduce raw material and machining costs
- Replaced solid bronze casting
- Annual cost savings after taxes nearly doubled the purchase price of machinery required
Lift Screw
- Roll threaded stock, saw cut to length and welded to screw machined ends
- Reduce raw material costs
- Reduction in machining costs
Actuator for Reciprocating Saws
- Mild steel injection molded head (to size)
- Mild steel spindle tube to reduce weight - for directional changes (reciprocating)
- Less cost than a finished product made from a forging or casting
Oil Field Valve Body
- Various end fittings inertia welded to standard valve bodies
- Reduces inventory of many different valve body castings
- Replaced single casting
Stern Drive Engine Tilt Mechanism
- Dissimilar Materials - 8650 Alloy Steel to 410 Stainless Steel
- Cost savings over former all-stainless forgings
Bimetallic Exhaust Valves
- Dissimilar Materials - High temperature resistant valve to high wear resistant alloy stem
- Lower costs as bimetallic application
Oil Pump Gear Blank
- 1018 low carbon steel bar stock inertia welded together to form gear assembly and then machined
- Formerly forged entire blank from 8620H alloy steel and then machined
- Removed die maintenance and replacement costs
- Inventory requirements reduced
- Cost Savings in material (standard bar stock vs. forging)
- Cost Savings in cycle time - up to 247 inertia welded oil pump gear assemblies per hour
Keyway and T-Slot Cutters
- Dissimilar Materials - 6145 steel shanks to M4 steel cutter heads
- Steps leading to inertia welding
- First the assemblies were machined from solid bar stock (High machining costs & Wasted material costs)
- Next were machined from forgings (Still had machining costs - very little cost improvement from solid bar stock)
- Third method adopted was flash butt welding (Alignment issues and high percentage of breakage)
- Full strength bond
- 25% ruduced production costs
Truck Trailer Brake S-Cam
- Cam forging to steel bar stock (One forging to various bar stock lengths)
- Previously machined from solid forgings (4 different forgings due to 4 different shaft lengths)
- Cost savings by welding common bar stock
- Reduces inventory costs
