AlCunnect from DODUCO GmbH

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Innovative Clad Metal Made of Aluminium (or Aluminum) and Copper

Current market trends and the ongoing weight reduction efforts in the automotive industry, as well as increased requirements on heat dissipation in power electronics leads to innovative approaches in companies participating as solution providers for these industries.

DODUCO has responded to these trends early and worked on joining the metals copper and aluminium together using cold roll bonding. The combination of these metals can yield to cost savings, through the replacement of expensive copper with aluminium. Additionally, it is possible to obtain a significant reduction in weight through the use of the light metal aluminium. AlCunnect provides a reliable connection of the copper and aluminium world.

DODUCO has already reached an advanced stage of development with the copper/aluminium bonding and is looking for partners to successfully establish the bimetal AlCunnect in the market.

 

Three different kinds of the Bimetal AlCunnect

AlCunnect is a composite material prepared by cold roll plating of Aluminium and Copper. Subsequent heat treatment ensures a strong metallurgical bond between the metals. AlCunnect is offered in three different variants to meet customers’ individual needs. First, the overlap composite, where copper and aluminium strips are joined together along one side. Second, the overlay composite, where aluminium and copper are clad together. Third, the inlay composite, where a strip of copper is plated onto an aluminium carrier strip. Optional corrosion protection can help to prevent the corrosive effects of water or salts.  

 

Overlap Composite

Overlay Composite

Inlay Composite

 

 

Benefits and Properties of the Metal Composite AlCunnect

Now that it is possible to combine aluminium and copper numerous new opportunities arise with our metal composite AlCunnect.

 

Copper is well-known for its high electrical conductivity but has become a very costly raw material due to price increases over the past years.

The aluminium copper bimetal enables cost benefits as a result of partially replacing copper with aluminium.

 

 

Aluminium has the fourth best electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals. Only silver, copper and gold are better. Although copper outperforms aluminium in both disciplines, it is still heavier and more expensive. For the same conductance the cross-section of aluminium is 1.6 times larger than the cross-section of copper, even though it weighs only half as much.

 

Another positive aspect of using the clad metal AlCunnect, beside the cost benefits, is the resulting significant weight reduction, which is important in the automotive sector. At the same time the plated bimetal of aluminium and copper provides temperature stability up to 200°C and an excellent mechanical adhesion.

 

Copper saving by use of aluminium

 

 

Benefits and Properties of AlCunnect

Realization of a material-locked join of aluminium and copper Excellent mechanical adhesion through metallurgical bond of the aluminium and copper world Cost reduction potential by replacing the expensive copper with aluminium Achieving a weight reduction through use of aluminium instead of copper Customizable proportions at buyer’s choice Attainment of a good electrical conductivity and temperature stability up to 200°C Enabling of resource conservation and sustainability