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wasur1
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 6

Welding Copper to Steel

07/07/2010 1:45 PM

Hello CR4 members. I'm currently trying to figure out what welding process is used to weld copper brush leads to their corresponding steel brush holders.Metalurgically speaking, I dont know if these metals are in their pure form.The application is typically small motors(no bigger than 7.5 KW).I'm assuming resistance welding could be possible. If so , are there any sites which could help me with tip/electrode composition or selection. Google didn't provide sufficient info. If needed, I can provide a picture in the near future.
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kramarat
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#1

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/07/2010 2:14 PM

I used a soldering gun and silver solder to connect copper brush leads to steel plug in connectors, it worked for me, but , I can't guarantee it will work in your application.

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tcmtech
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#2

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/07/2010 3:07 PM

The type of silver brazing used for air conditioning lines will bond copper to steel with out any problems.

Check with your local welding supply store and ask them about it they will know exactly what you are looking for.

It usually comes in 18 - 24 inch copper colored sticks and you buy it by the pound.
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Just an Engineer
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#3

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/07/2010 5:50 PM

When manufacturing electromechanical relays a few years back we attached the braid to the yoke using resistance (spot) welding methods.

Once the process was set, there was little adjustment, and best of all, no consumables. Tip life was around 5000 cycles before a tip re-condition that took around 2 mins per tip.

Our contacts and braid were carrying up to 30 Amp DC, so depending on your supply voltage this should be OK.

When you source the welder, the tip and anvil profile and materials might need a little experimentation, but more importantly will be other parameters like "pre-trigger pressure", current waveform, current and weld time. You want to develop heat in the material transition between your braid and the steel without heating your welding tip and you want to release the clamp so that the tip is not melted/annealed by the residual heat in the joint.

I'd start with a cone tip angle around 120Degrees, pure copper, 15mm diameter onto a pure copper anvil. Steel sitting on anvil, braid onto that, then the tip from above.

Remember, the process need to have current density focused at the spot weld point so that the energy is released into the junction.

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wasur1
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 6
#4
In reply to #3

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/07/2010 8:44 PM

Thanks for the info.I'll certainly look deeper on resistance welding. This is the best solution for me.
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Anonymous Poster
#6
In reply to #4

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/08/2010 7:19 AM

Be careful with welding copper to the steel. You'll end up with corroding the steel much faster than by itself. Make sure you protect it properly.
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Neil Kwyrer
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#5

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/08/2010 2:52 AM

Most people don't know that copper can be readily brazed to steel- or even copper to copper-no flux needed-I use an oxy/acet torch with tip size /gas pressure suitable for application- heat steel to red,add copper rod,copper will flow into steel- like everything, takes practice- not much different to brazing with bronze or silver solder.
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welderman
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#7

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/08/2010 7:21 AM

These two metals and their alloys can be soldered/brazed to each other. Unlikely you will be able to develop a fluxless process, which means you will have to clean flux residue from the joint. If you require a fluxless process, I would recommend TIG welding. In certain cased, resistance welding or ultrasonic welding are used, but these processes require careful engineering and joint design.
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DaveD
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#8

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/08/2010 7:48 AM

I'm no expert on this at all but I have read that ultrasonic welding is now used for electrical connections. It produces a very neat solution. Whether this works on copper to steel I don't know but there are companies that could supply more info.
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pinevi
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#9

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/08/2010 9:20 AM

I'm not sure if you want to go into large scale production, where you may consider spotwelding. However, it will certainly be a lot cheaper and simpler to gasweld it with copper to copper rods (as in airconditioning). And it is a clean weld, no flux.
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ferrousfab
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Location: Wisconsin
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#10

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/08/2010 5:00 PM

You may want to take a look at silicon bronze welding wire. Can be used with Mig and Tig welding. Silicon Bronze will join dissimilar metals such as copper to steel, and several other combinations. All will depend how much heat the items intended to be joined can take.
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jeeperscompshop2000
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 5
#11

Re: Welding Copper to Steel

07/18/2010 12:18 PM

I think you will find the product to solve your problem here.

http://www.muggyweld.com/index2.html

Ken.
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Users who posted comments:

Anonymous Poster (1); DaveD (1); ferrousfab (1); jeeperscompshop2000 (1); Just an Engineer (1); kramarat (1); Neil Kwyrer (1); pinevi (1); tcmtech (1); wasur1 (1); welderman (1)

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