WHERE CAN I FIND MATERIAL TO INSULATE WELDING ARMS OF SPOT WELDING GUNS, INSULATION UP TO 10000V AND HEAT RESISTANT UP TO 300 DEGREE C.

-- ANDREAS GRENACHER (avitra@ksc15.th.com), September 23, 2002

Answers

I have seen a process where the arm is insulated with a fiberglass- like material, then plated with a tin or chrome-like finish for abrasion resistance. I keep putting in "like" because I don't know the real process, and I haven't seen in in a few years now.

I am surprised that you need 10,000 volt insulation, as gun arms usually run at 30 volts or less. If this is true, the insulation will have to be a lot different that what I described. I suspect you mean 10,000 amps, but the actual current is not considered when we insulate to prohibit current flow, just the voltage that we are trying to hold back from causing current to flow.

I am also surprised at the high temperature you require, most gun arms are held to 50 degrees C or less by the water flow through them. If your guns are heating this hot, this will cause permanent softening of the copper, which occurs at 200 C.

Do personnel come in contact with these guns? I ask that because insulating is usually done on manual guns, where the operator cannot always avoid touching ground. If this gun is used on an automatic operation, then you should be able to provide clearance to solve a shorting problem, and the repeatability should be counted on to insure that clearance.

-- David Bacon (dbacon@updatetechnology.com), October 03, 2002.

We have been Teflon coating welding arms for 10 years. It can take 630 degrees F. Please let us know if we can be to any help.

-- Lennart Naslund (datawelder@prodigy.net), January 31, 2005.