Industrial companies such as General Motors and Pratt & Whitney have embraced a novel welding technology from Pulsar Ltd. called Cold Weld. The process, also known as magnetic pulse welding, uses an extremely powerful magnetic field of short duration to create a true molecular bond between two metals. The process needs no filler materials, consumables, or gases. As the name implies, parts are not heated and there is no degradation of the metallurgical properties of parts. Additionally, there are no fumes—it is environmentally friendly, safe, and extremely energy efficient.
"It is a manufacturer's dream," claimed Pulsar CEO and founder, Oren Gafri. "The process is faster, cheaper, and better than many current operations. But what is really exciting is all the new designs this will generate. The engineering community needs to be made aware of this enabling tool. They are no longer limited to materials with reasonably equivalent melting temperatures, or other design limitations defined by the constraints of conventional welding. Both similar and dissimilar materials can be welded. This technology opens up an entire world of design possibilities."
Pulsar is working closely with the Edison Welding Institute (EWI) of Columbus, OH. EWI is considered the premier welding organization in the U.S., offering welding solutions to a membership of over 400 major manufacturers. EWI currently has a Pulsar system that is being used for research, demonstrations, and samples production.
A number of major manufacturers worldwide have entered into agreements with Pulsar for the development of new products and applications using this technology. Pulsar has succeeded in welding aluminum to steel, which is expected to be a major application, especially in the automotive industry. In most cases, welding aluminum to steel has been impossible because of the materials' different melting temperatures. However, with Cold Weld it is possible, and this enables a number of possibilities for attaching lightweight aluminum to heavier steel, making a car more fuel efficient. Other metal combinations are also being explored.
For more information, visit www.pulsar.co.il or circle 427.
SAE Off-Highway Engineering April 2000
