When does one speak of plasma short-time welding?

Plasma short-time welding is referred to when welding times are in the range of 0.02 to 2.00 seconds. The advantages compared to other arc welding methods are the advantages of the life time of the electrode (up to a factor of 30 compared to TIG welding), the 100% ignition reliability and the high quality of the weld. It is used for spot welding and also for welding short seams (round + longitudinal seam).

Characteristics

• Welding times from 0.02 seconds
• Life time of the electrode up to 30 times higher (compared to the TIG process)
• Insensitive to contamination on the component to be welded
• No interference caused by RF ignition of the arc
• High process reliability and quality

Applications

• Automatic plasma welding in the automotive field, e.g. to: turbocharger components, omega seals on punched parts or glow plugs for diesel cars
• Plasma short-time welding on electronic components
• Welding of stator packs for motors
• Welding of copper wires to contacts in relay manufacturing, transformer or motor production
• Welding of thermocouples

Plasma short-time welding (welding time 20ms to 2 seconds) is a rapidly growing area with many applications in the automotive sector and the production of electronic components. Above all, the downsizing of engines and the resulting use of turbochargers place high demands on the quality and productivity of the process. For instance, in the case of plasma short-time welding, up to 30 times the service life of the wear parts can be achieved compared to the TIG process, which has often been used so far, and with better quality.

Also the requirements for the crash resistance of components in the automotive sector have increased. In the past, a simple punching part with an omega closure was often secured. Today, the scale is raised and an additional securing by means of a welding point is required (for example, with head rests). Here, the parts usually come directly from a press and are then (in most cases still heavily oiled) directly welded in a subsequent plant with a securing weld point.