ABOUT Thompson Friction Welding

Efficient in handling small scale and high-volume production runs, KUKA’s in-house Thompson friction welding machines are configured to join a wide variety of materials including dissimilar materials and components for many different applications.

With over 50 years of experience, KUKA’s Halesowen based facility is one of the largest in Europe. The department has capability across a range of rotary friction welding machines, supported by an in-house metallurgical laboratory, pre and post-weld heat treatment capability and full part preparation solutions.

Thompson’s friction welding capabilities cover many material combinations, including similar and dissimilar material joining, and geometry options including bar to bar, tube to bar, bar to plate, tube to plate and tube to tube, as examples. Commonly friction welded components include drill rods, axles, drive shafts, pump shafts and cv joints, to name just a few.