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StirLight (Baclor Ltd)
About us
StirLight is a UK friction stir welding (FSW) specialist. We help engineering teams adopt FSW with confidence, from first feasibility trial through process development and prototyping to production support.
Our engineers bring more than 50 years of combined FSW experience. We run gantry and robotic FSW cells at our facility in Holmewood, Chesterfield, and develop welding procedures that can transfer to your own production line.
* What FSW offers *
- Low-distortion, high-integrity joints with a refined microstructure
- A wide range of aluminium alloys, including castings, extrusions and aerospace grades
- Dissimilar joints, including copper to aluminium
- Steel, including work already delivered for the nuclear fusion sector
- Lighter assemblies for weight-critical applications
* Problems we are often asked to solve *
- Distortion and rework on long aluminium seams
- Leak paths in cold plates, battery trays and enclosures
- Porosity or cracking in fusion-welded aluminium
- Joining alloys or material combinations that conventional welding cannot handle
- Replacing fasteners, adhesives or brazing with a single structural joint
- Moving FSW from the lab into a repeatable production process
* Where we work *
- EV battery and thermal management: battery enclosures, trays and cooling plates where flatness, strength and leak tightness matter.
- Thermal management and data centre cooling: cold plates and heat exchangers, including copper to aluminium joints.
- Defence and land platforms: structural aluminium and steel assemblies where joint integrity is critical.
- Commercial vehicles, bodybuilding and trailers: long, flat aluminium panels and extrusions with minimal distortion.
- Aerospace: high-strength aluminium alloys and lightweight structures.
- Nuclear fusion: FSW of steel for demanding, high-integrity applications.
* How we work *
We work in clear phases, so you can test the case for FSW before committing to larger investment.
1. Feasibility: we review your design, materials and joint requirements and run initial trial welds.
2. Process development: we develop and optimise the welding procedure, with testing and metallurgical evaluation.
3. Prototyping and low-volume production: we weld parts for validation, testing and early builds.
4. Production support and technology transfer: we help you scale, either through StirLight or by transferring the process to your own line or supply chain.
* StirSense: in-process weld quality assurance *
StirSense monitors each weld as it happens and flags unexpected events before parts leave the line. It gives your quality team a record for every joint against the welding procedure specification, supporting your existing quality process rather than replacing it.
For manufacturers, that means earlier detection of problems, less reliance on end-of-line inspection alone, and a traceable quality record for customers and auditors. StirSense is designed for FSW production environments and is available for both StirLight-welded parts and customers’ own FSW lines.
We are also working with FSW machine builders interested in offering StirSense as part of their systems. StirSense pilots are now open for FSW production lines.
Research and development
StirLight takes part in funded R&D programmes in FSW and weld quality assurance, working alongside industry and research partners. StirSense development has been supported by the ATI and Innovate UK-funded AERWELD.AI programme alongside Huddersfield University and SensorIT.
* Visit us *
Find us in the ATI area at stand N180. Bring a drawing, a sample or a joining problem and talk to our engineers about whether FSW is the right fit.
