Friction welding is used extensively in the Construction and Agricultural industries because the welds are of forged quality, with a 100% butt joint weld throughout the contact area. This creates a bond strong enough to handle the high stress and torque required of heavy machinery components including hydraulic piston rods, rear axles, and gears.
MTI has extensive experience developing welding solutions for the construction and agricultural industry. Friction welding is used extensively in the agricultural industry because the welds are of forged quality with a 100% butt joint weld throughout the contact area. The bond is strong enough to handle the high stress and torque required of heavy machinery components. These costs can be lowered by replacing expensive, total forged parts with forged end welded to bar or tube stock without a reduction in quality. An example of this is hydraulic piston rods. These have similar-size ends but vary in rod diameter and length. Standardized ends can be welded to the required-size rod, reducing component costs as well as physical inventory requirements.
| Application | Bar stock welded to clevis forging for manufacture of large (5 inches (127 mm) diameter and larger) piston rods |
| Materials | Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Hydraulic piston rod |
| Materials | Steel - Pre-Chromed |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
| Application | Track adjusting yoke for commercial tracked vehicles |
| Materials | |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
| Application | Hydraulic piston rods. Rod eyes cut from heavy-wall tubing welded to pre-chromed bar stock. |
| Materials | Steel - Pre-Chromed |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
| Application | Torque rod. Forged eye welded to various barstock lengths. |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Truck rear suspension link welded on twin 150 Inertia Welder. Ends are oriented to within ±1° of each other. |
| Materials | Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Lift link-ball socket. Forged couplings welded to tubing and barstock. |
| Materials | |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Lift screw. Roll threaded stock cut to length and welded to screw machined ends. |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Chain drive sprocket |
| Materials | Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Plate |
| Application | Two pre-finished transmission gears welded using precision piloted tooling |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon Alloy (Gear Steel) |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Tube |
| Application | Cluster gear. Small finished gear welded to larger gear blank. |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon Alloy (Gear Steel) |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Disk |
| Application | Oil pump gears. Welded bar stock replaces forged blanks. 15% - 30% cost reduction (depending on size and usage). |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
| Application | Finished gear welded to clutch drum |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon, Steel - Low Carbon Alloy (Gear Steel) |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Plate |
| Application | Pin assembly. Pre-chromed pin welded to retaining plate |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon, Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
| Application | Front axle yoke shaft for four-wheel-drive vehicles - bar stock to yoke forging |
| Materials | Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Universal joint clevis |
| Materials | |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Bar |
| Application | Power control drive shaft for motor grader. Inertia weldment replaces upset forging (left) which required five straightening operations |
| Materials | |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
| Application | Forged wheel spindles joined to 5 inches (127 mm) diameter - 5 inches (12.7 mm) wall tubing to produce trailer axles. |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon, Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Tube |
| Application | Truck trailer brake S-cam |
| Materials | |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Rear axles for tractors - 4 inches (101.6 mm) diameter bar stock welded to hub forging |
| Materials | Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
| Application | Steel-backed, bronze-laminate thrust washers and sleeves welded together to produce track roller bushings. Replaced costly, solid bronze castings. |
| Materials | Copper Alloy, Steel - Low Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Plate |
| Application | Track roller. Forged halves welded together to produce track roller assemblies. |
| Materials | Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Tube |
| Application | Diesel engine piston |
| Materials | Steel - Medium Carbon Alloy |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Tube |
| Application | Water pump - finished |
| Materials | Stainless Steel - Martensitic, Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Water pump - as welded |
| Materials | Stainless Steel - Martensitic, Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Bar |
| Application | Diesel engine pre-combustion chamfer cross-section |
| Materials | Steel - Alloys |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Tube to Disk |
| Application | Water pump gear |
| Materials | Steel - Low Carbon Alloy (Gear Steel), Steel - Medium Carbon |
| Technology | Rotary Friction Welding |
| Geometry | Bar to Plate |
Component costs can be significantly reduced by replacing expensive, totally-forged parts with parts using forged ends welded to bar or tube stock. This can be done without a reduction in quality by using friction welding. For example, the hydraulic piston rods used extensively in construction and agriculture equipment have similar-sized ends, but vary in the rod length and diameter. Instead of stocking expensive forged components in a variety of different diameter and length configurations, we can friction weld standardized ends to the required rod size by using standardized stocked diameters and lengths of bar or tube stock. This reduces component costs as well as physical inventory requirements. Other applications include front axle yoke shafts, rear axles, drive shafts, and gears.
Explore Our Process
In our latest edition of Eyes of an Engineer, we interview junior service engineer James Lovell and junior design engineer Luke Barrett. The two graduated from MTI's apprentice program in February of 2018.
Whether you travel by plane, train, car, or electric vehicle, you're always within reach of a component that's been friction welded. Discover the items you use every day that feature friction welded components.
MTI's latest double axle friction welding machine is fully automated and reduces cycle times by up to 10 percent.
MTI's Dan Adams provides more detail in episode three of our series on upset control and length control for rotary friction welding.
