Insights
166 articles
- 2026-05-27 · 3 min · Materials
Niobium to Tungsten Welding: Refractory Metal Joining in Atmospheric Conditions
Join niobium to tungsten at 100V - the highest energy weld in our database (28.10 J). Both refractory metals welded in atmospheric conditions. Superconductor and aerospace propulsion applications.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 3 min · Materials
Tantalum to Copper Welding: Joining a Reactive Refractory Metal Without Oxidation
Weld tantalum to copper without vacuum chambers. Microsecond arc completes before Ta oxidation. 3 verified parameter sets from 0.007" to 0.030" wire. Implants and capacitor leads.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 2 min · Materials
Copper to Platinum Welding: Precision Joining for Medical and Laboratory Applications
Join copper to platinum for pacemaker leads, RTDs, and catalytic probes. 4 verified parameter sets. 5.5:1 thermal conductivity asymmetry solved by percussion welding.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 3 min · Materials
Nickel to Steel Welding: Preventing Carbon Migration in Dissimilar Joints
Weld nickel to steel without carbon migration that weakens the joint. Sub-3ms cycle preserves metallurgy on both sides. Parameters for 0.025" and 0.040" wire.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 3 min · Materials
Stainless Steel to Copper Welding: Avoiding Hot Cracking in Dissimilar Joints
Avoid copper-induced hot cracking when joining stainless steel to copper. 0.50ms weld cycle prevents grain boundary penetration. Verified parameters for 0.030" wire.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 2 min · Materials
Copper to Tungsten Welding: Joining Metals with 2,337C Melting Point Difference
Join copper to tungsten despite a 2,337C melting point difference and zero mutual solubility. 5 verified parameter sets. Lighting, EDM electrodes, and aerospace applications.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 2 min · Materials
Aluminum to Steel Welding: Overcoming the Largest Melting Point Gap
Bridge the 850C melting point gap between aluminum and steel. Verified percussion weld parameters prevent Fe2Al5 intermetallic formation. Automotive lightweighting applications.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 2 min · Materials
Nickel to Copper Welding: Parameters for Battery Tabs, Thermocouples, and Heater Elements
Join nickel to copper wire for battery tabs, thermocouples, and heater elements. 6 verified parameter sets covering both orientations. 0.018" to 0.040" wire diameter range.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 2 min · Materials
Copper to Steel Welding: Bridging the Thermal Conductivity Gap
Weld copper to steel despite the 5:1 thermal conductivity gap and 425C melting point difference. Verified parameters for 0.030" and 0.040" wire. No filler material needed.
Read → - 2026-05-27 · 2 min · Materials
Copper to Aluminum Welding: How Percussion Welding Solves the Intermetallic Problem
Join copper to aluminum wire without brittle intermetallics. 3 verified parameter sets from 0.010" to 0.030". Under 3ms cycle prevents CuAl2 formation. EV battery and aerospace applications.
Read → - 2026-03-27 · 5 min · Thermocouple
Welding Thermocouple Wire
Step-by-step guide to welding thermocouple wire by percussion welding. Covers bead junction formation, wire preparation, fixture setup, and verified parameters for common thermocouple types.
Read → - 2026-03-27 · 5 min · Process
Why Engineers Are Replacing Their Percussion Welders After 20 Years
Industry Perspective Published March 2026 In most of manufacturing, a 20-year equipment lifespan is a miracle. In percussion welding, it's a Tuesday. So when an engineer finally calls about replacing a machine that's
Read → - 2026-03-27 · 5 min · Process
Still Running a Superior 528 or MTI 628?
Equipment & Upgrades Published March 2026 Somewhere in a production cell right now, a Superior 528 percussion welder from the mid-'90s is quietly bonding thermocouple wire to a stainless plate — and doing it fine.
Read → - 2026-02-02 · 4 min · Process
Wire Joining Methods: When Percussion Welding Beats the Alternatives
Soldering, crimping, resistance welding, and percussion welding for wire joining — compared on strength, conductivity, speed, and dissimilar metal capability. Decision guide for engineers.
Read → - 2026-02-02 · 6 min · Battery
Battery Tab Welding: Percussion vs. Spot Welding
Percussion vs. resistance spot welding for battery tabs: HAZ, cycle time, dissimilar metal capability, and electrode wear compared. Which method for copper-nickel and aluminum tabs?
Read → - 2026-02-02 · 5 min · Thermocouple
Welding Thermocouple Wire: Why Percussion Welding Is the Process Thermocouples Were Waiting For
Percussion welding creates thermocouple bead junctions in under 3ms. Near-zero HAZ preserves wire calibration within microns of the junction. Type K, J, T, N pairs. Parameters included.
Read → - 2026-02-02 · 5 min · Materials
Polarity in Percussion Welding: When It Matters and How to Get It Right
Polarity is one of those parameters that either does nothing interesting or completely changes the outcome. Here's how to know which situation you're in—and what to do about it. When you're developing a percussion weld
Read → - 2026-02-02 · 4 min · Process
The True Cost of Percussion Welding: No Consumables, No Surprises
Most welding processes have a quiet cost that shows up every month: consumables. Percussion welding doesn't. Here's what that means for your operating budget, your inventory, and your sanity. Let's talk about the part
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FAQ
What is percussion welding?
A heat-plus-impact process for joining metals.
An electric arc supplies the heat, then a rapid mechanical movement forces the two materials together, forming a full metallic bond with no filler.
How fast is a percussion weld?
Under 2 milliseconds, start to finish.
A human blink takes about 400 ms. The arc itself heats the parts for only a few milliseconds, which is why the heat-affected zone stays minimal.
Which metals can it join?
Dissimilar combinations are the specialty — aluminum, brass, copper, steel, titanium and many more.
Our lab database holds 131 tested weld schedules across 33 materials and 68 material pairs. Don't see yours? We've welded hundreds of combinations and can develop a schedule for yours.
Do I need filler metal, solder or flux?
No. There's no filler, solder or flux, and no electrodes to wear out.
That means cleaner joints, less waste, and no consumables to buy.
Still have a question? Tell us your weld challenge and an engineer will reply.
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Share what you're joining and what's going wrong. We'll tell you straight whether percussion welding is a fit.
Prefer to talk? Book a demo or call 303-536-7838