CMW Resistance Welding

CMW sells many of the same quality high conductivity copper alloys that it uses to make resistance welding accessories. Generally these materials are designed for a combination of specific electrical properties, and retention of strength at elevated temperatures.

Copper Base Alloys (Group A RWMA Materials)
Refractory Metal Base Alloys (Group B RWMA Materials)

Copper Base Alloys (Group A RWMA Materials) Typical Properties

Long electrode life is of paramount importance to the user of resistance welding equipment. Selection of the proper CMW alloy or combination of alloys will help to give improved weld strength and electrode life.

CMW electrodes are fabricated from alloys selected from the results of laboratory and practical field tests. For special problems, CMW engineers will make recommendations based on their years of experience.

Click on the links below to learn more about our materials.

ALLOY		#	Number
CMW® 28	Copper, Zirconium	1	1.15000
CMW® 3	Copper, Chromium	2	2.18200
CMW® 328	Copper, Chromium, Zirconium	2	2.18150
CMW® 73	Copper, Nickel, Silicon, Chromium	3	3.18000
CMW® 353	Copper, Nickel, Beryllium	3	3.17510
CMW® 100	Copper, Beryllium	3	4.17200
Elkaloy® D	Copper, Aluminum	4	5.95300
Elkaloy® 20	Copper, Al2O3	5	---

Torch Brazing Guidelines

Refractory Metal Base Alloys (Group B RWMA Materials) Typical Properties

Elkonite® Copper Tungsten and Elkon® materials

Elkonite® is the registered trade mark of CMW used to identify a group of metal compositions whose elements consist basically of the refractory metals tungsten, molybdenum and tungsten carbide combined with copper. Combinations of these elements produce dense, hard metals of superior wear resistance and strength at elevated temperatures, coupled with good thermal and electrical conductivity. The mechanical and physical properties of the Elkonite® materials make them particularly suitable as the die inserts and facings for volume projection welding,flash and butt welding, electrical upsetting, electroforging and mash welding applications.

Elkonite® material is also used successfully as facing on spot welding electrodes where heat balance or mechanical wear resistance are required. The initial premium cost of Elkonite® material is offset by lower production cost per weld due to long die life and less electrode dressing time. The high stability of Elkonite® material insures uniform heating and prevents misalignment, resulting in a higher quality weld.

Material List

CMW Grade	Type of Material	Composition % by Weight	Class #
Elkonite® 1W3	Tungsten-Copper	55W, 45Cu	10
Elkonite® 3W3	Tungsten-Copper	68W, 32Cu
Elkonite® 5W3	Tungsten-Copper	70W, 30Cu
Elkonite® 10W3	Tungsten-Copper	75W, 25Cu	11
Elkonite ® 30W3	Tungsten-Copper	80W, 20Cu	12
ELKONITE® 3W53	Tungsten-Copper Alloy	68W, 32Cu*
ELKONITE® 10W53*	Tungsten-Copper Alloy	75W, 25Cu*
Elkonite® TC5	Tungsten-Copper -Copper	50WC, 50Cu
Elkonite® TC10	Tungsten-Copper -Copper	56WC, 44Cu
Elkonite® TC20	Tungsten-Copper -Copper	70WC, 30Cu
Elkonite® TC53	Tungsten-Copper -Copper Alloy	70WC, 30Cu*
Elkon® 100W	Tungsten	100W	13
Elkon® 100M	Molybdenum	100Mo	14

Machining

Torch Brazing Guidelines

CMW® 28
CMW® 28 material is recommended for spot welding of coated steels and high conductivity materials, excluding copper and silver.

CMW® 3
CMW® 3 material is recommended for spot and seam welding cold and hot-rolled steels and coated materials as well as current carrying shafts and arms, back-up bars for both resistance and arc welding and electrical current carrying structural parts and springs.

CMW® 328
CMW® 328 material is recommended for spot and seam welding cold and hot rolled steels. There is some evidence that CMW® 328 outperforms CMW® 3 material when welding coated or galvanized steels.

CMW® 353
CMW® 353 material is recommended for heavy duty offset holders, back-up bars, flash welding dies, current carrying structural members, shafts and bushings in combination with CMW® 3.

CMW® 100
CMW® 100 material is recommended for spot and seam welding stainless steel and high temperature heat resisting alloys requiring high weld forces, flash welding dies, back-up bars, projection welding electrodes, and high strength, high conductivity electrical components and springs.

CMW® 73
CMW® 73 material is recommended for flash welding dies, springs, electrical components, high strength backing material for brazed assemblies and wire guides.

Elkaloy® D
Elkaloy® D material is recommended for butt and flash welding dies and clamps for cold rolled and stainless steel, current carrying structural parts, jigs and fixtures, pickling racks and baskets.

Elkaloy® 20
Elkaloy® 20 material has exceptional resistance to deformation when welding, and is highly recommended for welding caps for welding coated and galvanized steels. It allows a stable start-up, and generally outlasts other cap materials when welding parameters are not carefully controlled. The material requires upset cold work to develop its properties, and is therefore only available as caps or cap blanks.

Elkonite® 1W3 and Elkonite® 3W3
Elkonite® 1W3 and Elkonite® 3W3 alloys are generally used for flash and butt welding die inserts where higher electrical and thermal conductivity is necessary and where a degree of malleability is desirable. These materials are also used for spot welding (as a radius faced electrode) low conductivity ferrous metals such as stainless steel.

Elkonite® 5W3 and Elkonite® TC5
Elkonite® 5W3 and Elkonite® TC5 alloys are normally used for light duty projection welding dies where welding pressures are not extreme.

Elkonite® 10W3
Elkonite ® 10W3 alloy is used for electrode and die inserts in most flash and butt welding dies and for projection welding dies where welding pressures are moderate. It is also used for light electrical upsetting, electroforging dies and seam welder bushing inserts.

Elkonite ® 30W3 and Elkonite® TC10
Elkonite ® 30W3 and Elkonite® TC10 alloys are recommended for volume projection welding dies where the pressures involved are relatively high. Electrical upsetting of non-ferrous metals and [ow carbon steel is usually accomplished by the use of such Elkonite ® materials as die facings. Cross-wire welding of large, diameter wire and rod is accomplished with such Elkonite ® materials.

ELKONITE® 3W53 and ELKONITE® 10W53
ELKONITE® 3W53 and ELKONITE® 10W53 are heat treatable grades of ELKON1TE® materials supplied in the fully heat treated condition. If silver brazed to a die backing, such ELKONITE® materials should be heat treated after brazing. These harder grades are used primarily for electroforging and electrical upsetting dies, where temperatures and pressures are comparatively high.

Elkonite® TC20 and Elkonite® TC53
Elkonite® TC20 and Elkonite® TC53 materials are extremely hard and wear resistant. Elkonite® TC20 material, while somewhat difficult to machine, may be machined using carbide tipped tools. Elkonite® TC53 material is a heat treatable grade of such high hardness that machining operations are impractical and the material must be ground. Such Elkonite® materials are customarily used for special applications of electrical upsetting and electroforging.

Elkon® 100W
Elkon® 100W is extremely hard and its ductility is relatively low. It cannot be machined but may be ground to the required shape. It does not alloy appreciably with nonferrous materials and is used for cross-wire welding of metals such as copper and brass. It is also used for electrobrazing electrode material and for some electrical upsetting operations.

Elkon® 100M
Elkon® 100M is used principally for electrobrazing electrode material and for cross-wire welding of nonferrous metals. It is not as hard as Elkon® 100W material and may be machined or drilled to fit the parts to be joined. A typical application of this material, as an electrode, is the welding or brazing of braided or solid copper conductors to ferrous or nonferrous terminals, lugs or fittings.