We have been welding aluminium for more than 20 years. And not only with friction stir welding (FSW), but of course also with TIG welding and MIG welding. Would you like to have your component welded by us? In close cooperation with you our project managers will find the most suitable welding process for your component.
Friction stir welded seams from RIFTEC are of higher quality and more resilient than conventional fusion welds. One reason is the introduction of significantly less heat into the component compared to other welding processes. We work with high process forces, which in turn require good seam support.
In case the geometry of the component is not suitable for friction stir welding, we are happy to use TIG welding - the fusion welding process for products with high demands. This welding technique allows us to weld thin sheets and extrusions precisely and without spatter, see for example our drying trays. And of course we are certified.
MIG welding, which we often use for prototypes, is more "for the rough". The process requires more effort in preparation and post-processing of the joint than our other welding processes. It still pays off for the thick-walled components in automotive engineering, because we weld all the faster with MIG.
However: "Nothing is as fast as friction stir welding - and if it is, it won´t be as good." (Quote from our welding engineer)
In 2022, we took a close look at the question of wether there is a „best“ welding process für aluminium among the most important processes and called for a neutral comparison of different joining processes. Guess which process came out best?
No problem! We often combine different welding processes for one component. One example: we weld longitudinal seams with friction stir welding, fillet welds with TIG and fill in remaining end holes with TIG. There are (almost) no limits to the imagination. Talk to us, we will advise you.
Even when time is of the essence, you have RIFTEC at your side as a contract welder! As an independent service provider, we can even do irregular series or production start-ups for you at short notice.
You can also call on us if you experience a sudden increase in capacity or as assurance against production failures.
Your assembly standards are challenging? RIFTEC is the right place for you!
Your components may consist of almost any aluminum alloy, but also other light and non-ferrous metals such as magnesium or copper. Mixed connections of aluminum and copper or aluminum and magnesium can also be welded. We even combine stainless steel with aluminum if both materials and the geometry go well together.
Concerning the component size, the machine's workspace is usually the limiting factor. We weld plate sizes of up to 8 m x 3.5 m. We have a maximum component height of around 900 mm in the multi-dimensional area. Possible welding depths for friction stir welding at RIFTEC are between 0.5 and 30 mm. Double-sided welding up to 60 mm weld depth.
These are of course all guide values, depending on the alloy used and the component geometry. Please contact us if you need more information.
Phone: +49 4152 13693 10
Mobile: +49 162 1072 790
Mail: meyer@riftec.de
At RIFTEC, we have been using only green electricity for years and keep our carbon footprint as low as possible in all welding processes. Friction stir welding also works without inert gas and filler materials, making it particularly employee-friendly.
Aluminium welding in perfection.
There is magic in every beginning…
Hermann Hesse
That is why we are pleased to be a part of your construction phase. We will gladly assist you with advice on the design of the joint geometry leading up to the first trial welds of your project. It can then be aligned with the FSW process without losing sight of the requirements your component has to meet.
But even in projects that are already under way, the welding process initially selected may become questionable. This is often because of quality concerns, with too many rejects or problems further down the processing line. In such cases we are happy to play a consulting role, check whether friction stir welding is a suitable alternative and suggest changes if necessary.
In the next step – or, if this is your starting point, the first step – we weld your prototypes or sample components, including machining before and/or after welding, if required. We inspect the properties of the weld, draw up the necessary production documents and supply the relevant technical reports and test certificates for your components.
Tin Lizzy" paved the way:
A high degree of productivity through top quality and clear design. That is exactly what we demand from our friction stir welded series components. You benefit especially from the high degree of consistency of the process, because unlike in conventional welding processes, each weld we make is identical to another. That is why the friction stir welding process is the only process to consider for industrial mass production of aluminium components.
RIFTEC has five different welding plants for series production. We can do large, fast, thick-walled, multidimensional and complex – depending on the component and the customers’ requirements.
Our new automated production cell for friction stir welding, processing and pressure testing heat sinks for the automobile industry is unique. It is currently manufacturing one hundred and fifty thousand heat sinks a year – and counting. Because of the high demand, a second identical production cell is already being planned.
In series production, we test the weld quality directly and during the same shift in our in-house testing laboratory. Short routes for rapid reactions.
"A group of individual parts that is integrated into the end product as a unit”
In accordance with this definition, we endeavour to make the greatest possible contribution to the unity of your welded module. We take care of the coordination and execution of many basic machining steps associated with friction stir welding for you, so that you can get a finished module from us.
In most cases, the first step is procurement of the starting materials. As part of the Austrian HAI Group, we have internal access to the highest level of aluminium expertise – our extrusion plants in Germany and Austria are some of the most modern in Europe and are renowned for different kinds of profiles.
A second step is the machining before and after welding. Over the years, we have invested heavily in this aspect – in machines and in well-trained employees.
We assemble add-ons for many customers, such as radiators for electric cars or drying trays for drying foodstuffs. For decorative surfaces, we cooperate with a fixed supplier base, which enables us to offer a range of anodised or plastic-coated surfaces.
We inspect the quality of our welds by destructive testing – grinding, bending or tensile tests – or non-destructively (in particular with radiators) by pressure testing.
We also measure, serialise, package and dispatch for you, and we organise many more prior and subsequent steps upon request.