Friction Stir Welding for the railway industry

Perfect joints: reproducible quality and process stability for the highest demands in rail vehicle construction.

Friction stir welding for the railway industry means consistently high quality, maximum process reliability, and significant cost advantages. We combine experience, precision, and state-of-the-art equipment to manufacture components that meet the highest safety and quality standards.

Challenges in the railway industry

When safety and precision allow no compromises

In railway vehicle construction, safety is paramount – and that includes the absolute reliability of every connection. High loads, changing environmental conditions, and demanding components require welding processes that are precise and reproducible.

Safety is the top priority in rail vehicle construction – and so is the reliable quality of every single weld. Components must not only withstand high static loads, but also dynamic stresses such as vibrations, oscillations, and changing environmental conditions over the long term.

Every step in the manufacturing process must be precise and reproducible to meet the strict quality requirements of DIN EN 15085. Scrap is particularly critical: even before the welding process, the components are already very expensive, meaning that errors result in direct costs and time losses. The goal is clear: high-quality, durable welded joints that ensure maximum safety and reliably support long-term operation.

Conventional fusion welding processes quickly reach their limits here. The high heat input not only leads to component distortion and residual stresses but also presents a number of other challenges: Complex weld preparation, the risk of hot cracking, and high sensitivity to component deviations further complicate the process. These factors increase manual effort and extend production times – with noticeable effects on costs, reproducibility, and process reliability.

Friction stir welding offers an ideal alternative. The process produces uniform, high-quality welds with outstanding mechanical properties. Since no melting process takes place, neither hot cracks nor cavities form, and the material structure remains homogeneous across the entire weld area. The low heat input minimizes component distortion and reduces rework to a minimum. At the same time, the process is characterized by high stability and reproducibility – crucial factors to produce complex and large-format aluminum components in railway vehicle construction – for greater efficiency and safety.

When quality must remain economical

The pressure to produce efficiently and cost-effectively is increasing – even with the highest quality requirements. Long cycle times, rising energy prices and material costs demand resource-saving manufacturing processes that reduce pre- and post-processing to a minimum.

The pressure to produce efficiently and cost-effectively is constantly increasing – even with the highest quality requirements. Longer cycle times, rising energy prices, and increasing material costs demand manufacturing processes that conserve resources and minimize the effort required for pre- and post-processing.

The limitations of conventional fusion welding processes become clearly apparent under these conditions. They not only cause high heat input and component distortion, but often necessitate extensive manual processing to ensure weld seam and surface quality as well as dimensional accuracy. Additionally, a subsequent 100% ultrasonic inspection is usually required after welding to fully guarantee quality with these processes. For reliable testing, the components must first undergo extensive cleaning and preparation, which further increases manufacturing costs and lead times.

Friction stir welding eliminates many of these typical disadvantages. The process enables highly precise, low-distortion welds and significantly reduces the need for downstream machining and testing. Time-consuming manual regrinding is eliminated, and thanks to reproducible process stability, the intervals between ultrasonic tests can be considerably extended – while maintaining consistently high weld quality. The result is efficient, economical, and resource-saving manufacturing that sustainably supports both quality and cost objectives.

Our Solutions & Strengths

Your turnkey partner in Friction Stir Welding in the railway industry

We offer turnkey friction stir welding solutions for rail vehicle construction—with optimally coordinated processes, precision tools, and comprehensive in-house quality assurance. The result is perfection that meets the most stringent standards.

We set new standards and deliver complete solutions from a single source.

With Stirtec, you're in the best hands when it comes to friction stir welding and everything that goes with it. We offer complete, customized solutions – tailored to your component formats, including FSW machines, clamping devices, tools, and comprehensive services. Each project is managed individually: We advise, support, and develop solutions that guarantee perfect weld quality, maximum safety, and durability.

Furthermore, extensive in-house testing and validation ensure that all relevant standards according to ISO 25239 and DIN EN 15085, as well as industry-specific standards, are reliably met. This guarantees you complete project support, uncompromising process reliability, and optimal results – as a reliable and competent partner at your side.

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High-performance welding that combines quality and cost efficiency

Process reliability in perfection: consistent quality, minimal scrap rates, and absolute reliability—even with demanding and large-dimensioned components.

Invest in manufacturing technology that pays off.

In railway vehicle manufacturing, perfect welds, stable processes, and reproducible quality have highest priority. Our friction stir welding solutions produce low-distortion, high-quality joints, that largely eliminate the need for time-consuming pre- and post-processing and significantly reduce the need for subsequent testing.

Especially with high-priced semi-finished products, this precision has a direct impact on cost-effectiveness: lower scrap rates, predictable manufacturing processes, and reduced rework lower direct costs and minimize the risk of expensive production errors. Furthermore, the high reproducibility ensures that all components reliably meet the strictest standards and safety requirements of the rail vehicle industry according to DIN EN 15085.

The result is a cost-effective, serially applicable production process that combines maximum quality, stability, and reliability – a clear advantage over traditional fusion welding methods.

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Tools, processes, and quality assurance – perfectly harmonized

A perfectly coordinated process chain: FSW tools, control systems, intelligent monitoring, and analysis work together seamlessly—for maximum process control and uncompromising traceability.

Expertise and quality – for long-lasting connections.

The perfect interplay of tooling, process control, monitoring, and data analysis forms the basis for consistently transparent and reproducible welding processes in railway vehicle construction.

MaXstir® is a tooling program specifically designed for the highest process requirements and safety-critical welded joints. It combines exceptional wear resistance with stable process control, enabling consistent quality and reproducible welding results, even with demanding components and high welding depths. The entire process is intelligently monitored using the specially developed STIRlytics software solution. The system records and analyzes all relevant process data in real time, immediately detects deviations, and supports operators with clear recommendations for action. This ensures that potential quality deviations are identified not only during subsequent inspection but also during the welding process itself. The result: A maximally transparent, stable, and traceable manufacturing process that reliably meets the high safety and quality requirements of railway vehicle construction

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Our Products & Services

Turnkey Friction Stir Welding systems

Successfully mastering the challenges in the rail vehicle industry requires not only innovative technologies, but also a comprehensive package and a reliable partner. That is exactly what we offer: from high-performance FSW machines to customized services that support you in every phase of your project.

Everything from a single source

Our FSW machines are much more than simple welding systems – they are fully integrated production solutions. This is complemented by our specially developed clamping and fixture concepts, which secure components safely, flexibly, and reproducibly, even under high forces and complex geometries. Equally crucial is the FSW process control: with our customized tools, we create the basis for optimum weld seam quality with maximum tool life. This creates the basis for stable processes, first-class welds, and the shortest cycle times. The result: complete solutions ready for series production that fit seamlessly into your manufacturing process and create productive added value from day one. Equipped with our STIRlytics quality software, you have a complete overview of every step of your FSW processes. You can monitor welding parameters in real time, analyze measurement data, and immediately identify deviations or potential for optimization. The software comprehensively documents every production step, enabling complete traceability of each individual weld seam. This ensures reproducible quality, reduces scrap, and minimizes rework. At the same time, your series production becomes predictable, efficient, and reliable without compromising performance or safety.

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MaXstir FSW tools

Tools that are durable, precise, and tailored to your components. Optimized for maximum service life, minimal scrap rates, and reproducible quality.

Precision driven by passion.

We develop and manufacture customized FSW tools that are perfectly tailored to your components and manufacturing processes. Each tool is created with the highest precision, carefully selected materials, special heat treatments, and sound engineering design. This ensures maximum process reliability, consistent seam quality, and a long service life – even in demanding serial and high-cycle production. Our in-house qualification process ensures that every tool meets the stringent requirements of practical use. The result: tools that are repeatable and proven – a key component for efficient and error-free series production.

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Services from A to Z

Stirtec offers everything related to friction stir welding – from design and qualification to prototyping, training, and service & support, remotely or on-site. We accompany you from the initial idea to series production – efficiently, safely, and economically.

We support you through every project phase

We provide comprehensive support throughout all project phases – from initial concept development through feasibility studies and prototype projects to ongoing full-scale manufacturing. We ensure that your FSW processes run efficiently, reliably, and reproducibly from the very beginning. Our service package includes weld seam qualification and welding procedure tests according to ISO standards (ISO 25239 and DIN EN 15085), practical FSW training and workshops for your team, and comprehensive service and support. This guarantees quality, process reliability, and efficiency in your production, minimizes downtime, and supports your projects – from the first step through to serial production.

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Your Expert for Friction Stir Welding

The leading high-technology company Stirtec is providing assistance in the industrial use of Friction Stir Welding, especially within the automotive (e-mobility), aerospace and other industries. With more than 20 years’ experience in the welding technique, we are successfully guiding through the process of Friction Stir Welding and customer’s applications. Well-known on the automotive market as the FSW full line supplier, Stirtec is giving their expertise within the product development on weldability with the capability of manufacturing first prototypes over to providing most-productive solutions as FSW centers and complete production line including automation.

Find out more about the benefits of using Friction Stir Welding and how the technology can be implemented towards your application.

More about FSW

Sind Sie daran interessiert, die Machbarkeit eines neuen Konzepts mittels Rührreibschweißen zu ermitteln? Oder benötigen Sie Unterstützung bei der Auswahl des für Ihre Anwendung am besten geeigneten Systems für die Serienproduktion?
Bitte kontaktieren Sie uns direkt – wir beraten und unterstützen Sie gerne.

sales@stirtec.at

+43 316 30 98 43