Advanced Integrated Technologies Inc ( AIT ) supplies exotic materials used in the resistance welding and reflow soldering industries, including Glidcop and Molybdenum. Our experience manufacturing welding electrodes, reflow soldering tips, and hot bars has led us to stock various sizes and quantities of these exotic alloys. Glidcop is an alloy with a minimum mill order close to one thousand dollars. Many companies who wish to make their own electrodes don’t wish to buy that large a quantity of material from the mill. We sell Glidcop, Molybdenum, and many other exotic alloys in sizes commonly used for micro resistance welding, and we have no minimum order quantity. Listed below are a few of the most common materials and sizes that we stock, but we have many other materials and sizes available including Berylium Copper, Copper Tungsten, Haynes 230, Nickel 200, Hastelloy, Tantalum, Inconnel 600, Inconnel 601, Inconnel 750, Monel 400, Tungsten HD17, 2% Thoriated Tungsten, and Titanium 6AL4V. Call AIT today if you need to buy Glidcop or other RWMA alloys.

Many electrode compositions are in common use in resistance welding. The choice is usually determined by the materials to be welded. AIT offers an electrode material selection chart at ELECTRODE SELECTION GUIDE. Six different electrode compositions are described below and may be ordered from AIT. The user’s selection of electrode materials is not restricted, however, to those listed here.

1. RWMA Class 1, Copper-Cadmium Alloy: This is the only electrode material suitable for welding aluminum.
2. RWMA Class 2, Copper-Chromium Alloy: (Glidcop is often substituted for this alloy) This material may be used to weld iron-base, nickel-base, cobalt-base, and chromium-base alloys. Class 2 electrodes are the most versatile general purpose alloys. AIT still builds many class 2 electrodes, but most customers are switching to Glidcop due to its superior qualities.
3. RWMA Class 3, Copper-Cobalt-Beryllium Alloy: Having the same general applications as the RWMA Class 2 above, this material sacrifices a small amount of conductivity for increased hardness. The characteristic hardness of Class 3 materials make them desirable for use as electrode-jigs and fixtures in high-production applications.
4. RWMA Class 11, Copper-Tungsten Alloy: This material is used only as an insert in copper shanks. Generally, this class is used on precious metals and copper-base alloys. If sticking is evident, change to a Molybdenum or Class 13 electrode material.
5. RWMA Class 13, Tungsten: Also used as an insert in a copper shank, Class 13 materials are used for copper, copper-base alloys and precious metals. The material is difficult to form into special shapes and fractures easily.
6. Molybdenum-Base Alloys: These are the most popular electrode materials for welding copper-base and other highly conductive alloys. They minimize the sticking often encountered with copper-alloy electrodes.

Glicop is a dispersion strengthened copper with 0.15% aluminum oxide, 68B Rockwell hardness, 92% conductivity. This material offers longer life, greater thermal stability, and higher strength than RWMA 2. Glidcop is generally interchangeable with RWMA 2 (class 2 copper) without changing schedules. Many customers are switching from Class 2 to Glidcop with good results. Call us today for more details.