Case Study

FANUC-Controlled Friction Stir Welding Machine Helps Advance US Manufacturing

CTC partnered with Quickmill to create a large friction stir welding machine using FANUC’s CNC and servo motors. This machine can weld thick steel plates in one pass, adjust tool height in real-time, and capture data, enhancing CTC’s manufacturing capabilities and expanding friction stir welding in the US.

Results

Highly customizable controls with features and functions that meets the end user’s needs
Strong FANUC servo motors supply the force needed to make only one weld
Manufacturing reshoring efforts assisted by having a North American supplier and partner

Story

Applied scientific research and development firm Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) creates advanced manufacturing solutions to help bolster American manufacturing. One project required a friction stir welding machine that could accommodate very large parts, upwards of 30ft or more. The company turned to Quickmill, an OEM of high-quality machining centers used in heavy-equipment applications. Quickmill built a gantry-style CNC milling machine tool using FANUC’s 0i-MF Plus CNC as well as FANUC’s powerful servo motors that could weld two very thick steel plates together in one pass. CTC also wanted to be able to adjust the height of the cutting tool on the fly during the process and be able to capture all the machine’s data produced, which was accomplished due to the open architecture of the FANUC CNC. The result has allowed CTC to apply friction stir welding to more product lines and help introduce the technology into the US industrial base.

We've been using FANUC products on the bulk of our machinery, and we've had great success with it. So, when this project came forward with what we needed and what CTC needed, we knew FANUC was the right choice of controls.”

Mark Williams

Regional Sales Manager, Quickmill

FANUC Products Used

CNC Series 0i-F Plus

Servo Drive Motor

Meet Quickmill, FANUC Authorized CNC System Integrator

Established in 1984, our founders saw a future in computer-controlled machining. With a passion for innovation and determination to develop products that perform and impress, we soon found ourselves installing projects around the globe. As a worldwide supplier of high-quality machining centers, we have been part of major infrastructure, power generation, and heavy-equipment projects on almost every continent. We have built a reputation on supplying solutions, not just machines. We engage with our customer’s manufacturing challenges and develop full turnkey solutions that can be producing quality parts before we pack up our tools.

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About Concurrent Technologies Corporation:

Concurrent Technologies Corporation is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and development professional services organization. CTC collaborates with its technology transition affiliate, Enterprise Ventures Corporation, to provide transformative, full lifecycle solutions through research, development, test, and evaluation work. To best serve our clients’ needs, we offer the complete ability to fully design, develop, test, prototype, and build. We deliver robust, technical, and innovative solutions that safeguard our national security, retain U.S. technological advantage, and ensure the primacy of American manufacturing.

Learn More about Concurrent Technologies

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FANUC-Controlled Friction Stir Welding Machine Helps Advance US Manufacturing

Results

Highly customizable controls with features and functions that meets the end user’s needs
Strong FANUC servo motors supply the force needed to make only one weld
Manufacturing reshoring efforts assisted by having a North American supplier and partner

Story

Meet Quickmill, FANUC Authorized CNC System Integrator

About Concurrent Technologies Corporation:

Case Studies

FANUC-Controlled Friction Stir Welding Machine Helps Advance US Manufacturing

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Results