In collaboration with the joining-technology development department at car manufacturer, Audi AG, Fronius claims that its new shape of gas nozzle has achieved a fundamental advance in the CMT brazing process.
CMT Braze+ increases brazing speeds, says the company. Initial applications of the new process in the autobody shops at Audi demonstrated that even under real series-production conditions, robot-assisted brazing speeds of up to 3m/min are feasible.
The resulting brazed seams are flat and clean, says the company. The narrow, conical shape of the gas nozzle causes the shielding gas to emerge at high speed, restricting the arc, for brazing to be carried out more rapidly. At the same time, gas consumption decreases by as much as 60% compared to standard arc processes, to between 3- and 5l/min. High flow velocity and the torch’s cooling capacity create a high cooling capacity, and long endurance times.
For example, changing from plasma brazing to the modified process in the production of the Audi A7, has boosted brazing speeds from 2.5m/min to 3m/min at the same time as significantly lowering its costs.
http://www.fronius.com