Contact tips fronius CuCrZr welding tip

The component of this contact tip is copper-chrome-zirconium (CuCrZr). The alloy elements chrome and zirconium are very hard and ensure high thermal resistance. The current transfer is a little less good, but this is not a noticeable problem for most processes. With a Vickers hardness of approx. 168 HV and a temperature resistance of approx. 500 °C, this contact tip material type is practically the standard. A high hardness combined with a high thermal load capacity means a low degree of wear with a correspondingly high process load.

If welding is carried out with a high-amperage arc or in the area of the spray arc, the contact tip is so heavily loaded that the thermal load capacity of the E-Cu contact tip is quickly reached and can exceed it. The fact that the time has come is shown by the bluish-black tarnish of the copper material. If welding continues with excessive thermal stress, the copper material softens, the wire erodes into the hole – also known as an oval washout – and can get stuck. In such a case, only the replacement of the contact tip helps. Fortunately, this is only the case with CuCrZr material under extreme process loads.