His passion is to develop welding technologies with a minimal environmental footprint
22 Apr 2026
Vivek Patel is one of only a few researchers in Sweden working with friction stir welding – a joining process attracting growing international interest. “The process offers many advantages and opportunities for industrial players who want to reduce the environmental impact of their production,” says Vivek, recently appointed Professor of Welding Technology at University West.
Vivek Patel conducts research on a welding technology that is attracting growing interest from industry. Photo: University West.
What makes friction stir welding so special?
“The process produces very strong, lightweight weld joints of high quality and requires significantly less energy than many conventional welding techniques. Above all, it is a clean process with no harmful sparks, gases or fumes, since the materials are joined without melting,” Vivek explains.
“No post-processing is required, and the entire process can be automated, making production highly efficient and timesaving.”
“Compared to other welding processes, friction stir welding results in a substantially smaller environmental footprint. All of this contributes to the growing interest from the manufacturing industry.”
What types of manufacturing is this welding process suitable for?
“This type of solid-state welding is particularly well suited for assembling critical components such as fuel tanks, vehicle frames and battery packs for electric vehicles.”
“Several automotive manufacturers as well as companies in the aerospace industry in other countries are already using friction stir welding. In Sweden, however, adoption has been slower. One reason may be the lack of research infrastructure beyond the equipment we currently have at the Production Technology Centre in Trollhättan.”
“Companies that invest in this type of welding equipment can save significant costs in the long run, even though the initial investment in customised equipment can be high.”
What are the main challenges in this research field?
“Since the process is still relatively unknown within Swedish industry, we need to do more to raise awareness. Today, University West is the only Swedish higher education institution conducting research in this area. Internationally, however, extensive research and development have been ongoing for more than a decade.”
“Another challenge is welding hard materials. That is why we are also planning to develop the process for hard metals such as steel and titanium, which greatly increases its potential for a wider range of applications.”
How did your interest in friction stir welding begin?
“I encountered the process 14 years ago, when the technology was still in its early stages. At the time, I was working at a university in India and was fascinated by its many possibilities and advantages.”
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, I saw that University West was advertising a position in welding technology. It was a fixed-term position, but I took a chance, hoping it could be extended, and moved to Trollhättan. I really enjoyed working at the university and was fortunate to be offered a new research position in friction stir welding in 2022. I finally got the opportunity to work with my passion.”
What are you and your colleagues working on right now?
“We hope to expand our research team in the near future and invest in new, more advanced equipment to develop the process for additive manufacturing. This is an extremely exciting area.”
“By combining friction stir welding with additive manufacturing in a solid-state process, industry could gain completely new opportunities to manufacture more sustainably and efficiently. This could become a reality within the next 10–15 years.”
Contact: Vivek Patel, Professor of Welding Technology
Learn more about friction stir welding research at University West
At University West, we conduct research in collaboration with society to help create a better future.