Robot-Guided Friction Stir Welding Pliers Make Lightweight Construction Suitable for Series Production

Welding Robot-Guided Friction Stir Welding Pliers Make Lightweight Construction Suitable for Series Production

2026-02-23 From Technology Licensing Office (TLB) of the Baden-Württemberg Universities GmbH | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

Researchers at the Materials Testing Institute (MPA) at the University of Stuttgart (Germany) have developed "Steppwelder", a welding gun for robotic friction stir welding. This enables the joining of high-strength aluminum alloys in record time and without heavy external counterholders.

The robot-guided friction stir welding gun "Steppwelder" in use on a conventional 6-axis industrial robot.(Image: Image: Dominik Walz, MPA, University of Stuttgart) — The robot-guided friction stir welding gun "Steppwelder" in use on a conventional 6-axis industrial robot.
(Image: Image: Dominik Walz, MPA, University of Stuttgart)

Body construction is under great pressure to innovate: in order to increase the range of electric vehicles, high-strength aluminum alloys and hybrid joints (e.g. aluminum-steel) must increasingly be used. Previous friction stir welding processes often failed in flexible series production due to the massive process forces that required heavy, inflexible counterholders. The team led by project manager Dominik Walz and inventors Florian Panzer, Stefan Weihe and Dr.-Ing. Martin Werz from the Materials Testing Institute (MPA) at the University of Stuttgart have overcome this obstacle. They have developed a robot-guided welding gun with an actively movable, integrated counterholder. This creates a closed force flow directly in the gun frame, which allows it to be used on conventional 6-axis industrial robots without the need for complex external devices. A particular highlight is the eponymous "lockstitch seam principle": by lining up short welds, flexible 2D and 3D sequences can be realized extremely quickly. For example, a 50 cm long seam can be joined in just 1.5 to 2 seconds.

CAD design of the second prototype of the friction stir welding gun (stitch welder) with various welding modes for creating spot, line or 3D seams.(Image: Image: Dominik Walz, MPA, University of Stuttgart) — CAD design of the second prototype of the friction stir welding gun (stitch welder) with various welding modes for creating spot, line or 3D seams.
(Image: Image: Dominik Walz, MPA, University of Stuttgart)

Massive Weight Savings

In addition to economic efficiency, the step welder excels in terms of sustainability: The process operates without additional materials, generates neither smoke nor spatter, and requires minimal energy consumption. At the same time, it enables significant weight savings in complex geometries such as battery housings or megacastings.A complete welding cell for validation trials, including a digital twin, is ready. The project is supported by approximately 1.4 million euros (~$1.66 Million) through the "VIP+" validation funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). By the end of the validation phase in June 2026, the technology is expected to be ready for market use in the automotive industry, aerospace, and mechanical engineering.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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