STIRTEC
STIRTEC is an Austrian full-line supplier of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) machines and turnkey systems, serving automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers with patented high-speed welding technology for EV battery trays, aluminum and dissimilar-material joining, and complete R&D-to-serial-production services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersPremstatten, Austria
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What STIRTEC does
STIRTEC GmbH is an Austrian engineering company and full-line supplier of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) technology, headquartered in Kalsdorf bei Graz. Founded in 2010 as a spin-off from TU Graz by Dr. Thomas Weinberger and Gunter Figner, the company specializes in industrial application of solid-state joining — a process that welds aluminum, copper, steel, and dissimilar material combinations without melting the base materials, enabling high joint quality, leak-tightness, and minimal post-processing.
The company offers an integrated portfolio spanning six FSW machine series (Vertical V-FSWC, Horizontal H-FSWC, Gantry Flatline FSWC, RFSSW refill spot welding, Stirpower, and Orbital FSW), complemented by a full services stack: design assistance, contract R&D and feasibility studies, prototyping, process development and qualification, destructive/non-destructive testing, training, and after-sales support. Three proprietary technologies anchor the offering: RapidStir® (a 2022 patented high-speed spindle design achieving up to 5,000 mm/min welding speeds for PHEV/EV battery applications), ContactStir® (a novel spot welding solution for aluminum-copper hybrid joints in e-mobility), and STIRlytics® (quality monitoring software for in-process weld inspection).
STIRTEC generates revenue through direct sales of FSW machinery and turnkey production systems, supplemented by professional services revenue from R&D, prototyping, design consulting, and testing. The company serves automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers as its primary segment (battery trays, HV inverter housings, electronic motor housings, cooling units), with secondary verticals in railway, high-performance/aerospace applications, and charging systems/busbars. Distribution is enterprise-direct, with a strategic March 2025 partnership with Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) extending regional manufacturing reach into the Americas, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The company operates with 1-10 employees from its expanded Kalsdorf bei Graz facility, which tripled production capacity in 2023.
STIRTEC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STIRTEC
- Legal name
- Stirtec GmbH
- Website
- https://stirtec.at
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- STIRTEC is an Austrian full-line supplier of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) machines and turnkey systems, serving automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers with patented high-speed welding technology for EV battery trays, aluminum and dissimilar-material joining, and complete R&D-to-serial-production services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STIRTEC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Welding Machinery
- NAICS
- Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351)
- SIC
- Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Spindles & High-Speed Drives (Machine Tool Spindles, High-speed Motors) (IMAGACAL)
Keywords
Where STIRTEC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Premstatten
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
STIRTEC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- FSW Machines and Systems: Sale of Friction Stir Welding machinery including Vertical, Horizontal, Gantry, RFSSW, Stirpower, and Orbital FSW machines, as well as complete turnkey production systems with automation.
- Contract R&D and Feasibility Studies: R&D services including FSW feasibility studies, fabrication process analyses, and testing services (destructive and non-destructive testing following ISO 25239:2020).
- FSW Prototyping and Pre-Series Production: Manufacturing services for prototyping and pre-serial production, including fixture construction, tool development, and series-near process parameters.
- FSW Design Assistance: Consulting services for FSW-compliant component design, including 3D modeling, collision checks, tolerance analysis, and quality assurance planning.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
STIRTEC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STIRTEC designs, manufactures, and supplies Friction Stir Welding (FSW) machinery—including Vertical, Horizontal, Gantry, RFSSW, Stirpower, and Orbital FSW machine series—and delivers complete turnkey FSW production systems with automation. Alongside its machinery portfolio, STIRTEC offers end-to-end FSW services spanning design assistance, contract R&D and feasibility studies, prototyping, process development and qualification, testing, training, and ongoing production support for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
Product overview
STIRTEC is a full-line supplier for Friction Stir Welding (FSW) technology, offering an integrated portfolio of FSW machines (Vertical V-FSWC, Horizontal H-FSWC, Gantry/Flatline FSWC, RFSSW, Stirpower, and Orbital series) combined with comprehensive services (FSW Design Assistance, Contract R&D, Prototyping, Process Development, Testing, Training, and Production Support). The company provides patented technologies including RapidStir for high-speed welding up to 5,000 mm/min and ContactStir for aluminum-copper dissimilar joints in e-mobility applications. Their STIRlytics quality software enables process monitoring and weld inspection. STIRTEC serves the automotive, railway, high-performance, and charging systems/busbars industries with solutions ranging from initial product development through prototyping to turnkey automated production lines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ContactStir®: Novel spot welding solution for contacting applications in electric vehicle battery and charging systems
- RapidStir™
- STIRlytics®
Products and services
- Vertical FSW Series (V-FSWC)
Quantifiable outcome
- Welding speeds up to 5,000 mm/min achieved with RapidStir® technology
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use STIRTEC
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
STIRTEC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
STIRTEC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI)coreStrategic global partnership established March 2025 to expand production capacities for Friction Stir Welding machines with regional manufacturing for customers in America, India, Australia, and New Zealand. MTI's global manufacturing presence and expertise since 1926 combined with Stirtec's advanced FSW technology enables delivery of high-performance FSW machines to further key markets.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
STIRTEC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Fronius International: Austrian-headquartered global welding technology leader offering arc welding, resistance welding, and increasingly FSW-related solutions. Fronius is a regional peer and broad incumbent in the welding equipment market that STIRTEC competes against in automotive joining applications.
- Lincoln Electric Holdings: One of the world's largest welding equipment and consumables companies, serving automotive, construction, and industrial customers. Lincoln Electric is a broad incumbent that competes with STIRTEC in industrial joining and has the scale to enter or expand in FSW.
- ESAB Corporation: Global welding and cutting equipment manufacturer with a broad product portfolio serving automotive, shipbuilding, and industrial customers. ESAB is a broad incumbent competing with STIRTEC at the high-volume production welding equipment level.
- KUKA AG: German-headquartered industrial robotics and automation company with significant welding automation capabilities, including integration of FSW cells for automotive production. Broad incumbent competing for the same turnkey welding automation projects as STIRTEC.
Direct peers
- Hitachi High-Tech (Friction Stir Welding division): Hitachi's FSW business manufactures industrial FSW machines, particularly for aluminum and dissimilar material joining in transportation and infrastructure. Direct FSW equipment peer with overlapping automotive and rail customers, especially in Asia.
- MTI Welding Technologies (Manufacturing Technology, Inc.): US-based manufacturer of resistance welding and FSW equipment, established 1926. MTI is both a direct FSW equipment peer and STIRTEC's strategic distribution partner (since 2025), serving overlapping automotive and industrial customers in the Americas.
- TWI Ltd: UK-based research and technology organization that invented Friction Stir Welding and licenses the technology globally. TWI is the closest comparable to STIRTEC in FSW technology depth and serves many of the same automotive, aerospace, and rail customers.
Emerging players
- Grenzebach Maschinenbau: German specialist in automated production machinery, including battery manufacturing equipment and joining solutions for the automotive industry. Comparable as a mid-sized European automation peer pursuing EV battery production customers.
- Branson Ultrasonics (Emerson): Part of Emerson, Branson provides plastic and metal ultrasonic welding and joining technologies used in automotive and battery applications. Adjacent peer competing for some of the same dissimilar-material joining opportunities in EV battery and electronics manufacturing.
- Sumitomo Light Metal Industries: Japanese manufacturer that has developed and commercialized FSW equipment and processes for aluminum products, particularly for railway, shipbuilding, and aerospace applications. Comparable as a specialized FSW peer focused on aluminum-heavy industries.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
STIRTEC social profiles
Digital presenceSTIRTEC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STIRTEC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
STIRTEC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STIRTEC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STIRTEC
What does STIRTEC do?
STIRTEC designs, manufactures, and supplies Friction Stir Welding (FSW) machinery—including Vertical, Horizontal, Gantry, RFSSW, Stirpower, and Orbital FSW machine series—and delivers complete turnkey FSW production systems with automation. Alongside its machinery portfolio, STIRTEC offers end-to-end FSW services spanning design assistance, contract R&D and feasibility studies, prototyping, process development and qualification, testing, training, and ongoing production support for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
Is STIRTEC a public or private company?
STIRTEC is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was STIRTEC founded?
STIRTEC was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is STIRTEC based?
STIRTEC is headquartered in Premstatten, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does STIRTEC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. FSW Machines and Systems are the primary driver. The others are contract R&D and Feasibility Studies, FSW Prototyping and Pre-Series Production and FSW Design Assistance.
Who are STIRTEC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Fronius International, Lincoln Electric Holdings, ESAB Corporation and KUKA AG. Direct peers are Hitachi High-Tech (Friction Stir Welding division), MTI Welding Technologies (Manufacturing Technology, Inc.) and TWI Ltd. Emerging players are Grenzebach Maschinenbau, Branson Ultrasonics (Emerson) and Sumitomo Light Metal Industries.
Does STIRTEC have an API?
No public API is recorded for STIRTEC.
What industry is STIRTEC in?
STIRTEC's product category is Industrial Welding Machinery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHADAC, Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping), with a secondary code of IMAGACAL, Spindles & High-Speed Drives (Machine Tool Spindles, High-speed Motors). Its NAICS code is 33351 and its SIC code is 3540.