Sonobond's Ultrasonic Metal Welders Generate Significant Savings over Both Resistance Welding and Crimp & Solder Methods
Thanks to the patented Wedge-Reed bonding system of high vibratory force and
low amplitude coupling, Sonobond's ultrasonic metal spot welders create true
metallurgical bonds while reducing energy consumption and cutting production costs.
WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania - Sonobond's vice president, Melissa Alleman, announced today that ultrasonic metal welding equipment continues to offer significant energy cost-saving advantages to manufacturers when compared to other bonding methods. She said, "Sonobond equipment not only produces superior metal welds, it also generates important savings in comparison to such methods as resistance welding and soldering. This makes it win-win for manufacturers because they are able to generate fast, reliable welds while, at the same time, reducing what they have to spend on energy and other production costs."
Sonobond's Ultrasonic Welders Consume Less Energy
Energy consumption is significantly less with Sonobond equipment than with
resistance welders. Manufacturers with multiple installations of resistance welders may
require a new electrical substation to handle their requirements. On the other hand,
ultrasonic welding equipment can usually be accommodated with standard power
capacity.
Significant cost savings occurs in the assembly of wire harnesses for automotive
and similar applications. When resistance welding is used, it requires 20 times more
Page 2-Savings with Sonobond's Ultrasonic Metal Welders energy than ultrasonic welding. Yet it takes about the same time to make an ultrasonic
weld as it does to produce a resistance weld.
High-powered resistance welders, unlike ultrasonic metal welders, require water
cooling. This water must often be purified before it can be permitted to enter the waste cycle. This adds time and costs to the production process. Parts may also have to be cleaned before they can be processed by resistance welding equipment. In contrast, Sonobond equipment is fast and environmentally-friendly. It does not require any of these extra steps.
Superior to Crimp & Solder
Wire harness manufacturers report that ultrasonic welding reduces the expense of
attaching copper wires by 50% or more over old crimp and solder methods.
Ultrasonically welded joints are also stronger, have better electrical conductivity, and weigh less without the mechanical crimp. In short, ultrasonic metal welding produces wire harness joints that are significantly superior to those created by crimping and soldering. Because of this, manufacturers report that the need for costly warranty reworking of wire-to-wire and wire-to-terminal assemblies has been substantially reduced.
Other Money-Saving Advantages
According to Vice President Alleman, there are even more ways in which Sonobond Ultrasonics' metal welders offer customers significant savings. She says, "Our
units require minimal operator training. In fact, the time and effort involved in getting operators up to speed is about the same for our equipment as for resistance welding units.
Also, our microprocessor-controlled ultrasonic metal welders can set and recall up to 250 weld protocols from memory. Welding can be controlled by height, energy or time,
reducing the possibility that the operator will make costly mistakes."
Ms. Alleman continues, "There are also built-in features that can represent
meaningful savings to customers. For example, all Sonobond metal spot welders use our
unique Wedge-Reed design with heat-treated, tool steel Taper Lock Tips. These are
manufactured to last for up to 100,000 welds. When the tips finally do need to be
replaced, our units are constructed so that this can be accomplished quickly and easily
with a minimum of labor and downtime. Some ultrasonic metal welders produced by
other companies require replacement of the entire horn, not just the tip. But this is not the case with Sonobond equipment. So we have yet another example of how we help our
customers save valuable time and money. Sonobond's system is also the only ultrasonic
system with the capability of welding most oxidized and tinned metals."
Sonobond's Ultrasonic Metal Spot Welders Sonobond leadership in the field of ultrasonic metal spot welding is demonstrated
by these units:
o SpliceRite(TM) Wire Splicer for the lowest resistance, most reliable electrical
connections. This machine creates solid-state metallurgical welds of stranded copper wire bundles of up to 60 sq. mm. in size. Tinned wires up to 35 sq. mm. can be accommodated with our 3500-watt power supply.
o Dual Head SpliceRite(TM) features two ultrasonic welding heads, one on each side
of the welding area, for increased welding capacity. The unit confidently handles
wire bundles with cross-sectional areas from 48 to 100 sq. mm., including up to
60 sq. mm. wires that are tinned.
o SonoWeld® 1600 Spot Welder performs spot welds, as well as wire-to-terminal
welding of non-ferrous metals, including dissimilar metals such as copper to aluminum.
The SonoWeld® 1600 is ideal for welding multiple layers and/or delicate foils to tabs or terminals for lithium-ion and NiMH battery assembly.
o Dual Head Spot Welder features two ultrasonic welding heads, one on either
side of the welding area, for increased welding capacity. It welds non-ferrous
sheet metal, including aluminum up to 3mm thick, and reduces tip sticking on
thinner aluminum as used for automotive applications. This unit is ideal for
welding up to 80 layers of foil to tabs and terminals, as used for advanced battery
and super capacitor applications.
o Ultrasonic Single Point Ground Welder-SPG 2600 is a microprocessorcontrolled
metal spot welding system for producing the single point ground
terminals used in complex automotive electronic components and circuitry. The
SPG can weld up to 18 wires to a single terminal with just one pulse before
automatically folding the terminal arms to provide stress release on the joint.
Over a Half-Century of Innovation
For over 50 years, Sonobond has been a worldwide leader in the application of
ultrasonic welding technology. The company-then known as Aeroprojects-received
the first patent ever awarded for ultrasonic metal welding. This was in 1960. Over the
intervening years, Sonobond has earned a well-deserved reputation for its pioneering
work and quality-engineered products. Today Sonobond manufactures a complete line of
ultrasonic welding and bonding equipment. Among the company's many customers are
leading firms in the electrical, automotive, appliance, solar, aerospace, filtration, medical, and apparel industries.
Selecting the Appropriate Sonobond Unit
As part of its dedication to providing top-quality service, Sonobond offers a free,
no-obligation Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test. This helps assure that each customer
selects the right equipment for their specific application. Once a company decides to
incorporate a Sonobond unit into its manufacturing process, every effort is made to make sure the process is as seamless as possible. In commenting on her company's
commitment to superior service, Vice President Alleman says, "We understand that every
installation is unique. So our personnel work very closely with customers to make sure
everything goes smoothly. Anyone choosing Sonobond equipment can count on us for
reliable, in-depth technical support before, during, and after installation."
Additional Information
Additional information about Sonobond's ultrasonic metal welding equipment can
be obtained by emailing Melissa Alleman at MAlleman@SonobondUltrasonics.com or
by calling 1-800-323-1269. To learn more about Sonobond's other products or to find
out how to take advantage of the company's free Ultrasonic Welding Viability Test, visit www.SonobondUltrasonics.com.
