One solution to this is MRD technology (Multi-Ringed Dome). Thanks to a recently signed licence agreement, KYOKUTOH is now able to integrate this revolutionary and patented technology into its own products and make it available to OEM and supplier customers. This means that you too can benefit from significantly improved, durable welded joints on aluminium.
"MRD technology is a real game changer for automotive production,’ explains Tamer Demirkaya, General Manager of KYOKUTOH Europe. "Our customers benefit from significantly better penetration of the oxide film on aluminium sheets, which noticeably increases the quality and efficiency of their production processes. We are thus setting a new standard in aluminium welding."
Conventional dressed tips lead to alloying effects between the welding tips and aluminium components. This effect is caused by the insufficient penetration of the insulating oxide layer on the aluminium sheet by conventionally dressed electrodes. This results in overheating at these breakthrough points when the welding current is introduced, which leads to metallic connections between copper and aluminium. Repeated spot welding increases this effect and further increases the contact resistance between the tip and the aluminium sheet. The consequences are a negative appearance of the sheet surface and an increase in porosity in the spot weld. Up to now, the only remedy has been early dressing, which leads to enormously high tip consumption and longer cycle times.
MRD technology solves this problem by dressing the electrode tips into grooves rather than smooth surfaces. The three-dimensional geometry of circular elevations and depressions penetrates the oxide layer in a defined shape and large area when the tip comes into contact with the aluminium. This results in maximum conductivity for the welding current. This means that significantly more spot welds with a perfect spot surface can be created without having to re-dress the welding tips.
The technology is available with the new KYOKUTOH Tip Dresser CDF and Tip Dresser/Changer Combination XCD models. Both products are specially designed to meet the high demands of the automotive industry. However, it is important to note that the MRD technology may not be used for the production of full-size pick-up trucks for the time being. Nevertheless, KYOKUTOH's new models offer a wide range of applications that are perfectly suited for the production of aluminium components in other vehicle classes.
Tamer Demirkaya adds: "Our goal is to provide our customers with the most advanced tools to help them succeed in this competitive industry. MRD technology is further proof of our commitment to developing innovative and practical solutions."
