As electric vehicles continue to claim larger percents of yearly automotive sales across Europe and the world, new opportunities are constantly presenting themselves for companies that support the auto industry.
Friction welding is the most effective bimetallic joining technology available. With friction welding, the welds are of forged quality and the materials are plasticised rather than melted, creating higher strength welds than fusion processes. Plus, a properly developed friction weld will not develop galvanic corrosion, also known as bimetallic corrosion, around the joint.
Here are three common friction welding applications for EVs made from joining copper to aluminium:
1. Rotary friction welded eletrical connectors
MTI uses Rotary friction welding to join aluminium alloys to copper alloys for electrical connectors. By doing so, we get the benefit of copper’s heat transfer properties combined with the cost saving benefits of using aluminium.
2. Rotary friction welded battery cables
MTI also uses Rotary friction welding to join copper to aluminium for battery cables. In this case, copper and aluminium are both ideal for different reasons. Copper provides high electrical conductivity with little resistance while aluminium is a much lighter metal. By substituting heavier metals for aluminium when applicable, we’re able to reduce the weight of the final vehicle, which is referred to as lightweighting. That’s why combining aluminium with other materials has become a critical aspect of automotive production.
3. Linear friction welded heat exchanger plates
Using Linear friction welding, MTI joins copper to aluminium to form heat exchanger plates for vehicles. While copper transfers heat faster than almost any other metal, copper doesn't mount to other surfaces very well or very rigidly. So, copper is welded to aluminium, allowing the aluminium to be used as the mounting surface.
Have you made the switch to electric vehicles?
If you need a joining solution for EV components, or if you need contract services for your combustion engine components while you focus on EV part development, get in touch with us! Email Steve Marr, Head of Business Development in Europe, at [email protected]