Spot Welding Electrode Tip

The outstanding properties such as excellent hardness retention at elevated temperature, high electrical conductivity, low alloying effect, non-sticking characteristics on coated steel and good formability make it a suitable electrode for spot welding of all types of steel sheets in car body assembly lines and similar applications. Thus high hardness and tensile strength are inherent properties of ARTRODE and unlike any other copper alloy; it exhibits unique hardness retention after being exposed to elevated temperatures. This property is caused by the pinning of dislocations by AL2O3 particles and retarding of recrystallization, as a consequence significant softening does not occur due to annealing of ARTRODE even at temperatures close to the melting point of copper. The salient properties of ARTRODE are created by sacrificing little of its electrical conductivity (maintains 78-85% IACS), still its conductivity is comparable to copper and tensile strength to steel.

This material consists of pure copper containing ultrafine particles of aluminum oxide (10 nm average size) which are uniformly dispersed in copper matrix. Aluminum oxide is produced by a process during which oxygen reacts with aluminum in copper lattice in the solid state. AL2O3 is very hard and thermally stable. It has no solubility in copper and no AL2O3 growth or diffusion occurs at elevated temperatures. These particles strengthen the copper while minimally reduce its electrical and thermal conductivity.Electrode tips are made from ARTRODE in different male and female types mainly by cold forging and in some cases by machining. Dimensional accuracy and consistency are guaranteed by using high precision carbide dies.