StirLight

StirLight is a UK-based startup that combines expertise in friction stir welding (FSW) with a proprietary real-time process-monitoring and quality-assurance platform called StirSense. Their technology aims to accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing processes at scale by major industrial original equipment manufacturers. StirLight serves R&D engineers and production teams in the nuclear, aerospace, defence, automotive, and energy sectors through consulting and contract manufacturing. Their solution addresses the challenge of verifying weld quality during production in FSW, a technique known for producing stronger, lighter, and more repeatable joints with lower energy consumption compared to traditional fusion welding. StirSense captures and analyzes process-specific data to provide in-process anomaly detection and traceable quality records for every joint, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming post-weld inspections.