Production Line Monitoring & Control

Temperature and Environmental Monitoring & Control

Welding Monitoring

Test & Endurance Rigs

AS Interface (ASi)

Instrument Drivers

SPLASHplus TM

MADCAT TM

LowStir TM

Friction stir welding is a welding technique invented by TWI (The Welding Institute) in 1991. The process requires no melting (the weld is made in solid state) and produces high quality welds on a wide variety of metals. Friction stir welding has been proven to be highly effective on aluminium and its alloys, and work is currently being carried out to identify the optimum operational parameters for different thicknesses of metals.

Sigmapi Systems Limited has been working with TWI, Applied Measurements Ltd, Suffolk Precision Ltd and Fatronik to produce a low-cost version friction stir welder. The product, LOWSTIR TM, has undergone rigorous testing at several sites and is now being marketed worldwide.

The product allows you to convert an existing milling machine into a friction stir welder and automatically monitors the process through an easy to use operator interface to provide feedback on the quality of the weld produced.

Sigmapi Systems and Applied Measurements have now produced LowStir Mk 2 - a wireless version of the original model.

"The ability to go wireless is a huge leap over the previous technology", says Andy Westcott of BAE Systems. Not having to worry about trailing cables to the laptop reduces set up time and makes measurements during welding very straightforward.

What was once a highly specialised process using equipment costing many hundreds of thousands of pounds, is now relatively inexpensive using equipment available in most engineering workshops, all driven by easy to use software.

If you would like to know more about the LOWSTIR TM product, please visit www.lowstir.com or contact us and speak to Peter Cheetham.

Download a PDF copy of the LOWSTIR Brochure (555KB) or an information leaflet on the latest Mk 2 model.

View articles on LowStir:

"BAE Systems uses LowStir to optimise welding processes" (Airframer)

"Low cost Friction Stir Welding Now uses Bluetooth for Data-Transmission" (Sensors Forum - KTN - New Sensing Technologies)

"Creating an Affordable Option for Friction Stir Welding" (National Instruments Solutions)

"Friction Stir Welding For The Masses" (The Engineer)