When it comes to aerospace and automotive applications, bigger isn’t always better. In fact, companies invest a lot of time and money into figuring out how to trim the weight of their critical parts.
Fortunately for them, many major manufacturers have already discovered friction welding, a process with a proven track record of lightweighting.
So why does lightweighting matter, how can MTI help, and what’s the easiest way to get started? Read on to learn more about our role in the growing trend of shrinking!
A Summary On Friction Welding
Friction welding joins two parent materials without melting the base materials. Instead, the process uses frictional heat to plasticize the materials as one workpiece moves against the other through rotary or linear motion. Once the materials reach the proper plasticized state, controlled axial pressure forms a strong, solid-state joint.
For lightweighting applications, this gives manufacturers an effective way to join dissimilar materials, protect structural integrity, and support production goals without the limitations of traditional fusion welding.
Why Does Lightweighting Matter In Part Production?
Simply put, the more a vehicle, aircraft or spacecraft weighs, the more fuel it needs to operate. So, if we can reduce the overall weight, we reduce the amount of fuel needed, effectively driving down costs and boosting fuel efficiency.
Whether you’re driving a Class 8 truck and trailer, flying a plane or embarking on a space mission, there is a strict on-board weight limit that absolutely needs to be met to ensure safe travel.
Lightweighting would be attractive to a trucking company, for example, because a lighter truck can carry more cargo per trip while saving fuel and avoiding extra wear and tear on the truck itself.
Air carriers are also interested in lightweighting because extra weight trimmed from the aircraft can be used in exchange for longer-distance flights and carrying more passengers or cargo.
And as for space travel, if a spacecraft is made of lighter materials, the payload is lighter — ultimately requiring less fuel to get into orbit.
So how does MTI help dozens of companies achieve a light load with lighter parts?
How Friction Welding Creates Lightweight Parts
One of the easiest ways to cut down the weight of a part is to switch to a lighter material.
Take a battery cable for example.
At MTI, we combine aluminum and copper to friction weld this popular automotive part. Copper provides a high electrical conductivity with little resistance but it’s not necessary to make the entire cable out of copper for it to be effective. So, we can use aluminum, a more lightweight and durable material, to reduce the overall weight of the cable.
It’s important to know this type of weld may not be possible with other types of welding. One of the biggest advantages of friction welding is the ability to join a variety of dissimilar metals, further opening the door to lightweighting for all types of industries and applications.
Friction Welding As An Earth And Weight-Saving Method
Friction welding doesn’t just save weight — it saves the environment, too.
The process of friction welding does not require the use of fillers or flux, which both add extra weight to a part.
Think of it this way: if we were to weigh a part that was joined using friction welding and then we weighed the same part joined with a more traditional method that did require those fillers, the friction welded part would weigh less!
Omitting those fillers is much gentler on the environment because it cuts down on consumables and the energy required to take a part from concept to completion.
The lightweighting possibilities are endless with friction welding but there are some applications we see more than others.
Friction Welding Technologies For Lightweight Part Production
Manufacturers and engineers can use several friction welding technologies to assemble and produce lightweight parts without sacrificing strength, structural integrity, or production efficiency. Depending on the part geometry, materials, and application requirements, MTI can help determine which solid-state joining process is best suited for your lightweight component.
Friction Stir Welding
- Technology: Friction Stir Welding, or FSW, uses a rotating pin tool attached to a shoulder to generate frictional heat and stir two materials together along the joint line.
- Lightweighting Role: FSW is especially valuable for long continuous seams, butt joints, and lap joints where strength and dimensional control matter. Because the process joins materials without melting them, friction stir welding can support lightweight aerospace, automotive, rail, and e-mobility applications while helping maintain structural integrity and mechanical performance.
Linear Friction Welding
- Technology: Linear Friction Welding, or LFW, creates a welded joint by oscillating one parent material back and forth at high frequency under pressure against another parent material. The frictional heat generated at the interface plasticizes the materials before axial force completes the bond.
- Lightweighting Role: LFW suits non-round part geometries, complex near-net shape components, and high-performance structural applications. In aerospace friction welding, this technology is commonly associated with parts such as titanium blisks for jet engines, where weight reduction, strength, and part performance are critical. LFW also removes the need for monolithic structures by near-net-shape joining.
Rotary Friction Welding
- Technology: Rotary Friction Welding, or RFW, rotates one symmetrical part at high speed against a stationary counterpart. Once the weld interface reaches the proper plasticized state, axial pressure is applied to form the joint.
- Lightweighting Role: RFW is ideal for rotationally symmetrical and tubular components. For lightweight automotive and industrial applications, it can support parts such as hollow drive shafts and other assemblies that require fast cycle times, high repeatability, and strong welded joints during production.
Low Force Friction Welding
- Technology: Low Force Friction Welding is similar to linear and rotary friction welding in that it uses motion, heat, and pressure to create a solid-state joint. What sets Low Force apart is its ability to preheat the weld interface with an external energy source before joining. By raising the interface temperature in a controlled way, the process reduces the axial pressure required to form the weld.
- Lightweighting Role: Low Force is an advantageous technology for lightweight part production because it can reduce flash, lower upset, and support light load components with thinner walls or more complex geometries.
Popular Lightweighting Applications In Friction Welding
- Aluminum driveshafts
- Hollow piston rods
- Hollow diesel engine pistons
- Hollow engine valves
- Hollow stabilizer bars
- Hollow aluminum wheel rims
A New, Innovative Solution For Lightweighting
Don’t let its 122,000-pound weight fool you; MTI’s latest Linear Friction Welding machine was designed with lightweighting in mind.
The innovative machine specializes in near-net shape parts, further reducing the amount of wasted material. Plus, it’s equipped for all types of bimetallics, which, as we described, significantly aid in the lightweighting process. Before this machine was up and running at Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) in Detroit, Michigan, North American customers would have to travel to Europe for full-scale development work.
Click here to learn more about North America’s largest Linear friction welder.
About MTI
MTI has established itself as a leader in friction welding, including Rotary, Linear, Low Force, and Friction Stir Welding technologies. In addition to contract manufacturing services, MTI has delivered machines to Boeing, GE, Rolls- Royce, Pratt and Whitney, Federal Mogul, and many of their tier one suppliers. A family owned business founded in 1926, MTI employs over 200 people in their South Bend, United Kingdom, India, and Slovakia locations.
For more information on MTI and its family of world-class friction welding technologies, visit www.mtiwelding.com.
Twitter: @mtiwelding
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manufacturing-technology-inc