Welding Journal

BYU and Toyota Collaborate to Improve Welding of Minivan Doors

Engineers at Brigham Young University (BYU), Provo, Utah, have teamed up with Toyota to develop a new welding technique that could significantly improve the strength, safety, and environmental footprint of the Toyota Sienna’s automatic sliding doors. 

The new process, known as refill friction stir spot welding, uses 40 times less energy, produces fewer emissions, and creates welds that are 10 times stronger than those made by traditio..