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T. J. Snow  >  Supplies  >  Luvata Welding Products  > Luvata Resistance Welding Caps

Luvata Resistance Welding Caps

Luvata is one of the most respected manufacturers of resistance-welding electrodes. Luvata's resistance-welding electrodes are used on robotic welding machines, primarily in automotive applications as well as standard resistance welding machines.

The unique blend of superior alloy composition and proprietary cold working properties enhances the welding performance of Luvata electrodes in adverse welding conditions created by coated materials.

Advantages of Cold Heading or Forming

  • Fully cold forming hardens the alloy
  • Material cost savings in comparison to machining
  • Faster process than machining
Cold heading is ideal for manufacturing large quantities of parts for high volume users.

Luvata Eletrode Lines:
  • A-Trode - Standard Caps - CuCrZr.  C18150, Enhanced RWMA Class 2 
  • C-Trode - Standard RWMA Class 2 - CrCu.  C18200
  • Nitrode - GlidCop for Low Stick with Heavy Gauge Galvanized
  • Z-Trode - Zirconium Copper for Low Sticking with Light Gauge Galvanized
  • P-Caps - "Self Dressing" Caps in Nitrode and Z-trode Materials
  • Nitrode Composite - Cost Saving Nitrode Core + Z-Trode Jacket 
  • Cupal - Cost Saving 0.5% AL2O3 in Copper alternative to Nitrode
Luvata Welding Accesories PDF Brochure (2mb) 		 

The Ideal Solution for Resistance Welding Coated Steels

The introduction of galvanised and high strength steels, as well as a variety of newly developed coatings in automotive manufacturing have created new challenges for resistance welding.

Zinc, higher strength steels and other coatings can have adverse effects on the performance and life of cap welding electrodes, leading to premature wear and tear, sticking and increased dressing frequencies to maintain quality welds.  As a result, traditional welding with chrome and/or chrome zirconium alloy electrodes has become inefficient and costly.

Luvata’s resistance-welding electrodes have been designed to overcome these challenges and provide the ideal solution for demanding welding conditions.


A-Trode

Luvata's A-Trode™ is the universal cap electrode for reliable resistance welding at minimum piece price. The material is CuCrZr (C18150, RWMA Class 2).  The lower percentage of chrome in comparison to the standard Class 2 CuCr material and the addition of Zr to this Copper alloy discourages the alloying affect of zinc and copper to form brass on the electrode face and helps to prevent sticking. 

Produced by Luvata's proprietary billet casting process, the A-Trode's freedom from oxygen allows us to alloy the copper with the optimum levels of chrome and zirconium to deliver consistent welding results.

The A-Trode™ is available in all industry sizes, geometries and tapers or cold headed or machined to deliver your custom-made shape.
Traceability

All Luvata materials are fully traceable and quality assured.  A-Trode™ can be recognized by the distinctive taper design that helps water cooling in service.

C-Trode

CrCu.  C18200, Luvata's standard Class 2 material.  The industry standard for the welding of non-coated steels.



 A-trode

Luvata A-Trode PDF Brochure (600kb)

Nitrode

1.1% AL2O3 in Copper.  Dispersion Strengthened Copper C15760, RWMA Class 20. No other cap electrode can match Nitrode™ for its cost-effective, high quality performance in resistance-welding applications.

Advantages of Nitrode™ include:
    * Longer weld life
    * Non-stick
    * Resists mushrooming
    * Reduces energy requirements
    * Works on all steels
    * Smoother start-ups

All Luvata materials are fully traceable.  Nitrode™ electrodes are easily recognizable by their single, evenly spaced knurls.

 Nitrode Caps

Luvata Nitrode PDF Brochure (500kb)

Z-Trode


Z-Trode™ is the ideal cap electrode for resistance welding of light-to-medium gauge coated and uncoated steels.  

Sticking is inevitable when you weld galvanized steel with conventional electrodes.  The chrome in conventional electrodes encourages the alloying of the zinc and copper to create a brass alloy surface that stops the welding dead.  But Z-Trode™ is an alloy of zirconium and oxygen-free copper.  The zirconium discourages the alloying effect on the electrode face and prevents sticking.

Luvata's Z-Trode™ electrodes are easily recognized by their flats.

 Luvata Z-Trode Cap
 
Luvata Z-Trode PDF Brochure (844kb)

P-Cap

The P-Cap delivers twice the tip life with four times the number of welds, all without tip dressing.

The P-Cap uses a constant tip face geometry design for slow, consistent growth of the tip's welding surface.  It eliminates the need for tip dressing, and produces high quality welds on bare and coated steels.

As the P-Cap material wears, it rolls down the side of the cap, away from the weld surface.  This type of mushrooming differentiates it from standard nose geometries, which mushroom and require tip dressing.

The P-Caps are available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and manufactured in Nitrode™(aluminum oxide dispersion-strengthened copper, CDA 15760) and Z-Trode™(zirconium-copper, CDA 150) materials.  These alloys have been proven to outlast Class II Cr-Cu and Cr-Zr-Cu alloys.

The P-Cap maintains a constant current density across the weld face under typical welding forces.  It does require 90-degree to 90-degree face contact and the use of steppers to maximize life.

P-Cap's physical properties:
  • Male and female versions
  • Nitrode™, Z-Trode™ and Cupal™ material
  • 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", 13mm, 16mm and 19 mm diameters
  • All taper angles and a variety of weld face sizes
P Trode Self Dress Spot Welding Electrode

Nitrode Composite


The Luvata Nitrode Composite welding electrode has all the features of Nitrode but for a lot less cost. It is the newest cap technology in resistance welding.

Nitrode Composite is a hybrid of the two most common resistant welding alloys - Glidcop® C15760 insert or core (GM Cupal material) and Zirconium C15000 jacket (Z-trode) that delivers a non-stick welding surface for ease of start up.

Advantages of Nitrode Composite:
  • Reduces the overall cost of welding
  • Weld quality is maintained at a high level
  • No adjustments to welding parameters required
  • Can be dressed effectively using line side tip dressing

Cupal

0.5% AL2O3 in Copper.  Dispersion Strengthened Copper C15725, RWMA Class 20.  A cost effective alternative to Nitrode.


Luvata Resistance Welding Caps


 Please contact the Inside Sales group at TJ Snow for assistance selecting the correct Luvata electrode for your application. We stock a wide selection of Luvata electrodes, ready for immediate shipment.

 

Contact
Information:		 120 Nowlin Ln
P. O. Box 22847
Chattanooga, TN 37422		 (423) 894-6234
1-800-NOW-SNOW
FAX (423) 892-3889
ORDER FAX (423) 490-2417
=Click to Email= welders@tjsnow.com

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