Cold Metal Transfer System
Controlled metal transfer for low heat cobot and robotic welding.
Precise control
The Cobarc Cold Metal Transfer System (CMS) provides greater control over heat and metal transfer in robotic welding applications. During the process, wire is rapidly mechanically retracted to detach metal droplets into the weld pool. By using physical wire movement rather than high electrical current to detach the droplet, CMS significantly reduces heat input into the workpiece. The reduced heat input helps prevent burn through and keep thermal distortion to a minimum, particularly when welding thin materials.
Benefits
Minimal heat input
Reducing the electrical current during metal transfer lowers overall heat input into the base material. This helps minimise burn through, warping and thermal distortion when welding thin sheet metal and heat sensitive alloys.
Less spatter
Metal droplets detach at a low current, which produces significantly less spatter. This reduces post weld clean up and helps minimise spatter build up inside the torch nozzle.
Reduced rework
Cleaner and more consistent welds reduce finishing and rework requirements, helping improve cycle times.
How does the CMS work?
Standard MIG welding uses high electrical current to detach the molten wire into the weld pool. The Cobarc CMS uses controlled mechanical wire movement instead.
When the wire makes contact with the weld pool, the current is reduced and the wire rapidly retracts, detaching the droplet. The wire then feeds forward to restart the cycle, repeating this process up to 60 times per second.
Applications
- Thin sheet metal
Welds thin materials as thin as 0.3mm without with reduced risk of burn through and distortion - Dissimilar metal joining
Ability to join steel to aluminium as well as other dissimilar metals such as magnesium to aluminium or titanium to copper - Galvanised and coated steels
Helps reduce heat input when welding galvanised and other coated steels with minimal surface damage - Spatter sensitive parts
Minimises spatter and reduces the need for post weld grinding and clean up - Complex components
Suited to complex components such as exhaust systems, bicycle frames, automotive body parts and other lightweight structures - Repair and cladding
Crack repair and low dilution cladding of materials such as Inconel 718 or aluminium alloys - 3D printing / additive manufacturing
Ideal for metal additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping, offering precise layer deposition, low heat input and high process stability
Torch configurations
CMS is available on Cobarc’s 2-piece cobot and 2-piece and 3-piece robotic welding torch systems, giving you greater flexibility when specifying a torch for low-heat welding applications.