Insights
August 9, 2024 · 2 min read · Medical / Automotive / Electronics
Are you tired of running into micro-welding challenges that seem impossible to solve? Do you have a project that requires precision and strength, but conventional welding methods just aren’t cutting it? At Percussion Welder, we specialize in tackling the toughest micro-welding problems across a variety of industries, from medical and robotics to electronics and automotive.
Facing a Welding Challenge?
In this series of articles, we invite you to take a moment to reflect on the welding challenges you’ve faced—whether they’re from the past, present, or on the horizon. Think about the issues that have kept you up at night, and consider how our innovative microwelding solutions might be the answer you’ve been searching for.
Believe it or not, in a free consultation, we can determine whether your welding challenge is a good candidate for the Percussion Welder. So, as you read about this week’s challenge, keep your own project in mind.
This Week’s Microwelding Challenge: Welding Copper to Stainless Steel
This week’s challenge hails from the fields of robotics and medical/surgical device manufacturing. The client needed to weld an ultrathin, flimsy copper wire directly onto an equally thin piece of stainless steel plate. Here’s what made this situation so challenging:
- Welding Dissimilar Metals: Welding copper to stainless steel is challenging under any circumstances due to the differing melting points of the metals.
- Thin, Delicate Materials: The ultrathin copper wire lacked the columnar strength needed for a butt weld, making it impossible to use traditional welding methods like resistance or laser welding.
- Design Constraints: The configuration allowed very limited space, and the way the components were positioned ruled out the possibility of designing a tab for resistance or laser welding.
How the Percussion Welder Was Used
The Percussion Welder was used for this challenging scenario:
- No Need for Special Features: The weld was achieved without needing to design any special features or accommodate the limited space.
- Precision Welding: Our microwelding process allowed the materials to be aligned and welded where required.
- Minimal Force Required: The minimal force required by the Percussion Welder ensured that the delicate materials were not at risk of collapsing or breaking.
- No Extra Material Needed: The process eliminated the need for any extra material, ensuring no increase in resistance at the weld and no compromise in the flow of electrical current.
Advantages of Percussion Welding
The beauty of the Percussion Welder is that it allows you to design and manufacture without compromising on material choice or design integrity. Your team can work with the best materials for the job, achieving strong, clean welds with no filler, solder or flux.
Send Us Your Micro-Welding Challenge
If you’re facing a small components welding challenge, whether in design or manufacture, we’re here to help. The Percussion Welder could be a fit for your project.
Give us a call at 303-536-7838, email us at sales@percussionwelder.com, or click here to set up a free Zoom consultation. Share your challenge with us, and we’ll let you know if it’s a candidate for the Percussion Welder.
Keep reading
Microwelding Example: Copper Alloy to Copper
A copper alloy to copper microweld example from our microwelding series for medical, robotics, electronics and automotive small components.
Read →Copper Magnet Wire to Brass Washer: A Microwelding Example
A microwelding example: joining copper magnet wire to a brass washer for aerospace and defense, and how the Percussion Welder was used.
Read →Percussion Welding for Medical Devices: Training and Validation
How percussion welding fits medical device manufacturing: no filler, minimal heat-affected zone, operator training, IQ/OQ/PQ process validation and weld monitoring.
Read →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.
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.
How do I know if my materials can be welded?
Start with the Parameter Finder or the weld schedules table.
If your pair isn't listed, tell us your weld challenge. We'll reply with a straight answer about whether percussion welding is a fit, and how.
Still have a question? Tell us your weld challenge and an engineer will reply.
Start here
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