Luvata Resistance Welding Caps

A-Trode : Standard Caps – CuCrZr. C18150, Enhanced RWMA Class 2

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 : Standard RWMA Class 2 – CrCu. C18200

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

Nitrode : GlidCop for Low Stick with Heavy Gauge Galvanized

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
• moother start-ups

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

Z-Trode : Zirconium Copper for Low Sticking with Light Gauge Galvanized

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.

P-Caps : “Self Dressing” Caps in Nitrode and Z-trode Materials

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

Nitrode Composite : Cost Saving Nitrode Core + Z-Trode Jacket

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 : Cost Saving 0.5% AL2O3 in Copper alternative to Nitrode

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