SOUTH BEND, IN—Manufacturing Technology Inc. (MTI) has shipped North America’s first linear friction welder capable of joining full-sized parts to the Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) facility in Detroit, where it will contribute to cutting edge light-weighting research in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

If it rolls, floats or flies, lightweighting is one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. The push for new materials is forcing engineers in a variety of industries to explore cost-effective alternatives and develop new assembly processes.

Lightweighting is the No. 1 challenge facing automotive engineers today. Manufacturers are scrambling to build vehicles that contain a variety of weight-saving materials, such as aluminum, carbon-fiber composites, high-strength steel, magnesium and plastic.

DETROIT—General Motors uses seven joining methods—including spot welding, laser welding, self-piercing rivets and flow drill screws—to assemble the aluminum body of the new Cadillac CT6 sedan.

Oakland University is located a few minutes away from Chrysler’s corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI. So, it’s appropriate that the school is home to the Fastening and Joining Research Institute (FAJRI), the only facility of its kind in the world.