Pure tungsten electrodes

Pure tungsten electrodes

Our pure tungsten electrodes exhibit excellent properties at high temperatures and provide the superior performance required for non-ferrous resistance spot welding. Our unique defection-free bonding (NDB) technology produces an electrode that provides the required level of thermal conductivity while reducing wear and extending electrode life, resulting in maximum productivity and superior welding quality for your tungsten electrode application.

Suitable for a variety of automated welding applications

Our electrodes are used in high volume automated resistance spot welding manufacturing environments. These same electrodes are also suitable for chip sinker applications.

For high-speed automated welding operations, our pure tungsten electrodes achieve the metal-to-metal surface contact and pressure required for optimal welding. They are widely used for resistance spot welding in the automotive, electrical components and home electronics industries, as well as spot welding, copper wire fuses and a variety of other workplace materials. Some specific applications include automotive body and parts, wiring harnesses in automotive electrical components, circuit switches for battery packs, and electrical components for production lines of circuit breakers and electrical switches.

Our NDB pure tungsten electrode is less reactive to most coating materials and is suitable for coated metal workpieces such as galvanized or aluminized steel. Our NDB electrodes also have longer service life in chromium-free stainless steel welding, which may be problematic with traditional copper alloy electrodes. Our pure tungsten electrodes are also ideal for soldering tin-coated or nickel-plated copper workpieces, thus improving injection cycle and extending electrode life.

Why choose our pure tungsten electrode?

Welding non-ferrous metals such as copper (widely used in applications such as wiring harnesses, motor windings and the manufacture of electrical components) is a challenge because the material's low resistance and high thermal conductivity make it difficult to achieve the level of resistance heating required for welding. Therefore, the welding of copper and other non-ferrous metals requires a large current.

Our high-performance pure tungsten electrodes are designed and manufactured based on our extensive expertise in tungsten and are ideal for high-speed automated welding applications that require such high levels of thermal and electrical conductivity as well as superior hardness at high temperatures. Our electrode products are made of pure tungsten - which has the highest melting point of any metal, has excellent hardness at room temperature and high temperatures, and can be alloyed with other metals - providing a stable shape and maintaining current density during welding. Due to the limited chemical reactivity of tungsten with other metallic components, the adhesion between electrode and workpiece is low.

Our pure tungsten electrodes have a TUNGSTEN weight ratio of 99.99% and higher, a specific gravity of 19.2, and a hardness of 450 HV. According to the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), our pure product has a 31% conductivity of 5.5x10-8 ω m.

Advantages of our unique NDB process

Not only can our pure tungsten electrodes produce a suitable tip and handle profile, but our NDB bonding method can also be used in electrode fabrication. The unique NBD process produces a bond area ratio of almost 100% and a bond strength of ≥127 MPa. In contrast, tungsten electrodes brazed to a copper base achieve a minimum bonding coverage of 60% to 80%, and the bonding strength of brazed connections is only in the 98 MPa range. Our high quality NDB products produce pure tungsten electrodes that provide high thermal conductivity for the shank, excellent cooling performance after welding stops, and increased injection cycle and productivity.

For high volume production, our NDB technology creates a welded electrode that has better thermal conductivity, lower resistance and lower electrical conductivity compared to copper. Unlike brazing and pressing techniques where electrodes are glued to the shank, the NDB method provides superior thermal conductivity while reducing wear and providing stable bonding, thereby extending electrode life and the number or potential redressing process. The enhanced cooling properties of our NDB pure tungsten electrodes offset oxidation consumption, resist cracking and improve surface texture.

You can read more about our NDB technology in our white paper "Working Together: Defect Free Bonding of Resistance Spot Welding Electrodes".

Please contact us if necessary: zhang@pride-cnc.com