Coldwelds

Coldwelds are a type of weld made at or near room temperature, without the application of significant external heat. This process relies on the plastic deformation of the faying surfaces of the two pieces being joined. When these surfaces are brought into intimate contact under high pressure, their surface irregularities are essentially broken down, allowing for atomic bonding to occur. Common methods for achieving coldwelding include rolling, extrusion, and impact. The surfaces must be meticulously clean to prevent contamination, as oxides or other contaminants can interfere with the bond. Coldwelding is particularly effective for ductile metals like aluminum, copper, and gold, and is often used in electrical applications due to the high conductivity of the resulting joint. It is a solid-state welding process, meaning no melting of the base materials occurs. This can be advantageous for joining dissimilar metals that might otherwise form brittle intermetallic compounds at elevated temperatures. The strength of a coldweld is typically comparable to that of the parent metals.