Bond Technologies, Inc. launches high-volume production FSW Machine
For immediate release: Aug. 10, 2023
Elkhart, Ind. — Bond Technologies, Inc. announced the launch of their innovative PM2 Friction Stir Welding machine.
“We have not seen another machine like the PM2 on the market,” said Tim Haynie, CEO of Bond Technologies. “As such, we want to get the word out – because we know there are many companies that will benefit from the PM2’s technology and capabilities. We are anticipating broad distribution across the globe.”
The FSW answer for high-volume production
Part of Bond Technologies’ PM series of machines, the PM2 is a Friction Stir Welding (FSW) machine. Bond created the PM Series machines as the solution for products like vehicle inverters, electronic enclosures, or small parts manufactured in volumes from thousands to millions per year. Sophisticated process controls and data management features are combined with a durable, easy-to-operate mechanical design to give customers a fast, reliable solution for demanding production applications. Compact, highly reliable, and easy to operate – the PM2 is ideal for small to medium-sized parts constructed from aluminum alloys.
“The PM2 is designed for demanding production environments,” said Dave Hofferbert, President of Bond Technologies. “This is simply the best high-volume production FSW machine on the market.”
The PM2 has dual shuttles with a quick-change fixture interface, and can also operate in synchronous mode for larger parts. The dual shuttles, explained Hofferbert, allow manufacturers to weld one part while the other shuttle is preparing for the next weld – increasing production and output for companies who have a PM2 on the floor.
“Countless industries can benefit from the PM2’s assistance in high-volume production needs,” Hofferbert said. “The automotive industry has been an early adopter – but it is ideal for any manufacture that needs a superior and repeatable weld.”
The PM2 is designed for manual load and unload or can be used within robotic tending operations. With its high speed, real-time data acquisition, weld pass/fail notification, and full part-traceability, companies can assure both quantity and quality of the final product.
Factory information system (FIS) integration is also available, allowing for effective operations management. Further, tool-wear tracking makes it possible to understand when a tool needs to be replaced or is close to failure.
PM2 Features:
- Dual A/B pallet arrangement for maximum throughput
- Designed for manual load/unload or robotic tending
- High-speed real-time data acquisition
- Barcode scanning of product and FSW tool
- Graphical program editor
- One touch push button for quick change of FSW tool
- Weld pass/fail notification
- Correct part load verification
- Correct clamp-up verification
- Vacuum supply to nest
- FIS (factory information system) integration available
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new technology for joining metals together. FSW uses a spinning tool that produces frictional heat. Sometimes described as more of a forging process than actual welding – FSW is a solid-state joining technique used to join metals not easily fused with traditional welding. The Aerospace, Railway, Automobile, Ship Building and Marine industries commonly use FSW because it is ideal for materials such as aluminum, copper and other metal alloys. Friction Stir Welding makes possible very high-quality welds with minimal distortion. Easy automation makes the FSW process an ideal solution for industrial and manufacturing use.
About Bond Technologies
Bond Technologies, Inc., located in Elkhart Indiana USA, is a leader in friction stir welding machinery, tools and process. BTI provides highly engineered products and services to the R&D, aerospace, aluminum processing and automotive markets. Bond supplies Friction Stir Welding (FSW) systems and related services around the world for research and development as well as manufacturing production installations. Let Bond Technologies help you find the best friction stir processing solution for your application. Contact Bond Technogies today.
