Kingswinford-based MTI Welding Technologies, which provides friction and resistance welding machinery and spares, has collaborated with Congleton-based technology company HMK Automation — a Siemens motion partner — to develop a double-axle friction welding machine worth more than £2 million for a leading manufacturer of trailers (
www.mtiwelding.co.uk).
The machine welds a complete axle in one cycle, reducing cycle times by up to 10% and thereby potentially eliminating the need for a third shift.
MTI managing director Richard Jones said: “We invested 2,000hr in designing this machine, but the cost and efficiency benefits that it delivers to customers are unbeatable.
“Fully automated, it eliminates slow and manual part loading and unloading operations.
“Fully finished axles for multiple applications are delivered with precision part accuracy and statistical data monitoring for the quality process.”
Surpassing rigid industry specifications, the machine delivers workpiece orientation to less than ±1deg and achieves TIR up to 0.25mm.
It has automatically positioning clamps, and its PC interface allows different axle production runs to be scheduled on one machine, which eliminates the need to juggle schedules across multiple single-weld machines.
As MTI’s most advanced double-axle friction welder, this machine is the first of its kind to use Siemens’ Simotion high-end motion control system along with its latest Sinamics motor and drive technology; this allows the friction-welding process to be controlled down to a sub-millisecond level.