At MTI’s Manufacturing Services, we do more than bond parts together; we provide you with a proven, turnkey solution. Whether you need help with just one portion of the friction welding process or want guidance every step of the way, MTI’s team of highly skilled engineers is ready to help.
A key benefit of working with Manufacturing Services is the ability to take advantage of our pre- and post-treatment of welds.
Here’s how it all works:
The Pre-Welding Process
Before your part even touches a friction welding machine, you can choose from any combination of offerings in our pre-weld process. Each step provides you with a more thorough joining solution. Here are just a few of the options we offer:
- Identifying customer requests and overall project requirements
- Managing the complete supply chain
- Maintaining traceability of materials through material certifications
- Metallurgy
- Tooling
- CNC Machining
Identifying Customer Requests & Project Requirements
The most important part of any Manufacturing Services project is identifying your needs and overall project requirements. Depending on your goals, we’ll custom-tailor a joining solution that works for you.
Why it matters: With our customer-driven approach, we craft our services to meet each customer’s needs. It means that for some customers, we may handle getting the material and providing a finished product. While for others, we may simply provide an in-process solution.
A One-Stop Shop for All Your Joining Needs – Supply Chain Management
Think of MTI like a supermarket. We serve as a one-stop shop for all your joining needs. If a customer needs a specific material, such as an aerospace-certified material, MTI manages the entire supply chain.
Why it matters: This means you don’t have to go through the trouble of ordering, shipping, and storing materials—we’ll do it all for you.
Maintaining Traceability – We’ve got you covered
MTI also manages material traceability by acquiring and reviewing material certifications.
Why it matters: When producing critical components, customers need the peace of mind that their materials meet industrial standards.
Metallurgy – Joining Dissimilar Materials
One key advantage of friction welding is the ability to forge dissimilar metals that may otherwise be impossible to join using other welding processes. MTI’s chief metallurgist has decades of experience and can evaluate your material before it’s welded to ensure the weld has optimal strength. MTI’s Process Engineers work alongside our in-house metallurgists to ensure the joint strength meets your requirements.
A few of the more popular bimetal combinations include:
- Aluminum and copper
- Titanium and copper
- Aluminum and Inconel
- Aluminum and Steel
- Aluminum and Stainless Steel
Why it matters: Our engineers can spot defects in parts and welds that are invisible to the naked eye. Having a solid understanding of a part’s metallurgy is especially crucial for critical parts being used on aircraft and spacecraft. Plus, the ability to use bimetals often leads to lower costs for many customers.
Tooling – Making Sure Your Parts Fit
Our customers’ parts come in all shapes and sizes – but so does our tooling! If your part doesn’t fit in existing MTI tooling, we’ll design new tooling for you.
Why it matters: Friction welding is a highly scientific, precise process; we need to ensure every part fits properly on our machines to achieve the best results.
Making Good Parts Great with In-House CNC Machining
MTI’s Manufacturing Services has expansive CNC capabilities. With an Okuma lathe and three Hurco machines, including a five-axis mill and a live-tool lathe, we can often eliminate the need to send your parts to other shops for further machining.
We can also use these machines for flash removal or customize a part to your exact specifications.
Why it matters: Having these state-of-the-art machines in-house translates into better control of the supply chain, shorter lead times, and an overall lower cost.
What Is the Post-Weld Process?
Once your part comes off our friction welder, we’re not done with it. Working with MTI’s Manufacturing Services means you have access to infinite post-weld processing.
Here are just a few of the post-weld processes we offer:
- Stress Relief
- Metallurgy
- CNC Machining
- Weld Flash Removal
- Turning
- Milling/grinding
- Heat Treat
- Finished product shipped to our customers
Stress Relief – Maintaining the Integrity of Your Parts
Not all parts and welds cool naturally. Some require an extra step to ensure the strength is maintained. MTI’s Manufacturing Services offers post-weld stress relief. This process uses ovens to stress-relieve welded assemblies.
Why it matters: Our ovens can control the rate at which your part cools, ensuring its strength does not change after it comes off a friction welding machine.
Post-Weld Metallurgy
Our metallurgical capabilities extend beyond your part’s welding. Using our tensile tester and a series of other strength tests, this post-weld process ensures the weld meets your requirements.
Why it matters: It’s important to check your part in our lab both before and after welding to ensure the finished result exceeds your expectations.
From Our Floor to Your Door
MTI manages testing logistics and ships finished parts directly to our customers, keeping your supply chain simple from start to finish. Along the way, our team can identify additional solutions that have the potential to save time and money.
Convenient Location
MTI’s US Manufacturing Services location is just a few miles from our global headquarters in South Bend, Indiana. The area is home to several heat-treating and manufacturing shops. Plus, we’re in the heart of the automotive industry.
Why it matters: When we’re managing your supply chain, our convenient location helps you keep transport costs to a minimum.
MTI Can Solve Your Problems with Contract Friction Welding Services
As your friction welding partner, we provide on-site services, engineering, metallurgy, and quality inspection throughout the process to get the job done. From obtaining materials to final stress relief, including destructive and non-destructive testing, and through final machining, MTI provides the highest-quality services to our customers.
Quality is at our Core
MTI holds both Nadcap Welding and AS9100 certifications. Both ensure MTI’s processes align with the strict guidelines set by the aerospace and defense industries. Talk with our sales experts today to identify a solution that best meets your needs. We’ll build a machine that makes your part, make the part for you, or help you make the part even better.
To learn more about how MTI’s Manufacturing Services can add value to your project, watch the video below.