Kaltverschweißungen

Kaltverschweißungen, also known as cold welding or contact welding, is a solid-state joining process where two or more materials are joined together without the application of heat or melting of the base materials. Instead, it relies on the application of significant pressure to bring the surfaces of the workpieces into intimate contact, causing them to bond at an atomic level. This process is only possible under very clean surface conditions, as even microscopic layers of oxide or contamination will prevent the atoms from coming close enough to form a bond.

The fundamental principle behind cold welding is the creation of metallic bonds between the atoms of the mating surfaces. When the surfaces are brought into close proximity under high pressure, the atoms on each surface can interact and form shared electron bonds, effectively creating a single piece of metal. This requires the removal of any surface films, which is often achieved through specialized cleaning or surface preparation techniques.

Cold welding is typically used for joining similar metals, particularly ductile ones like aluminum, copper, and gold, though dissimilar metal combinations are also possible under specific circumstances. It is commonly employed in applications where heat is undesirable, such as in the electronics industry for joining delicate components or in the aerospace industry for certain fabrication tasks. The process produces a strong, ductile joint that can have good electrical and thermal conductivity. However, it requires specialized equipment capable of generating and applying the necessary high pressures and maintaining the required clean environments.