PowerStream Technology Single Pulse Resistance

www.powerstream.com Welder Instruction Pamphlet

140 South Mountainway Dr.
Orem, UT 84058
CD125SP
Phone:801-764-9060 High Accuracy CD Welder
Fax: 801-764-9061

Fundamentals of Capacitive welders deliver repeatable welds even during

Discharge Resistance Welding line voltage fluctuations.

Capacitive discharge resistance welding uses Spot welding relies on the principle of metal
large capacitors to store energy for quick resistivity to heat and fuse metal. A large
release. Figure 1 shows a typical capacitor current is passed through the work piece.
discharge curve. Energy is dissipated due to the metal
resistance in the form of heat which melts and
Capacitive resistance welders have many fuses weld materials. There are two phases to
advantages. Weld nugget formation takes
place during the first few milli-seconds.
Capacitive discharge welders allow extremely
fast energy release with large peak currents.
More of the energy goes into weld formation
and less into heating surrounding material.
The heat affected zone, where the properties
of the metal have been changed from rapid
heating and cooling, is localized to a small area
around the weld spot. The quick discharge
rate of CD welders also allows electrically and
thermally conductive materials, such as copper
and aluminum, to be welded. Capacitive
Figure 1: Sample capacitor discharge curve.
Copyright 2006 Sunstone Engineering 1
 one side. Current is divided between the two
the melting process. The welder must parts. This weld configuration requires more
overcome the material contact resistance and weld energy.
the bulk resistance of the material. Figure 2
shows an example micro-scale surface profile.
On the micro-scale, material surfaces are ruff
and only contact in a limited number of
locations. In the first few milli-seconds of weld
formation these high resistance, microscopic
metal bridges melt allowing other bridges to
come into contact and fuse. When all of the
bridges have fused the contact resistance a. b. c.
equals zero. The bulk resistance of the metal Figure 3. Examples of resistance welding
then plays the final role in the weld formation. electrode configurations: a.) direct, b.) step, c.)
series.

Surface 1 A capacitive discharge welder controls the

voltage of the welding capacitors. However,
the energy stored in the capacitor is a function
of the voltage squared (E = ½*C*V2). This
Contact point Surface 2 relation states that a small difference in voltage
makes a large difference in weld energy. The
Figure 2: On the micro-scale surface energy adjustment knob on Sunstone spot
roughness limits surface to surface contact. welders is indicated in watts*seconds (joules)
More contact points results in a lower contact to eliminate the potential confusion between
resistance. the linear voltage control and the voltage
square energy relation.
Several other factors play a part in the contact
resistance. The larger the contact resistance Using Sunstone Single Pulse Welders
the hotter the resultant weld. On the micro-
scale, contact resistance is reduced when Weld Energy Indication
more metal bridges or contact points are Figure 4 shows the Sunstone Engineering
formed (see Figure 2). Using more electrode Single Pulse CD welder front panel. Weld
pressure creates more metal bridges. This energy is indicated by a 10 level display bar
results in a lower contact resistance and cooler and is adjusted in watt-seconds (ws). When
weld. Conversely, light electrode pressure maximum energy has been reached the
results in less metal contact, higher resistance, display will begin flashing.
and a hotter weld.
Pulse Control
Figure 3 shows several different electrode Sunstone Single Pulse welders have one knob
configurations used in resistance welding. for pulse energy control. Pulse energy is
Figure 3a is called a direct weld. Current is adjustable between 3% and 100% of the total
passed from one electrode, through both work stored energy.
pieces and out an opposing electrode. Figure
3b shows a step electrode configuration. This Power Adjustment
configuration is used when there is access to Each Sunstone welder is fully adjustable
only one side of the work piece and an between its minimum and maximum energy.
electrode can be placed on both materials. The welders have a moderate charge time if
Figure 3c is a series configuration. Electrodes used by themselves. Welders are intended for
can only be placed on one metal surface from use with an additional external power supply
Copyright 2006 Sunstone Engineering 2
booster. When used in conjunction with a fast to speed-up the cycle time of the welder. The
charging booster weld repetition rates of up to Sunstone Engineering PS25A power supply is
166 welds/min (the hardware defined limit) are adjustable between 6 and 18V (11 – 100%
possible. The weld energy set-point is usually welder energy). The PS35A booster is
chosen to minimize cycle time and is typically adjustable from 13 to 18V (50 – 100% energy).
set to around 80 percent of the maximum A welder to power supply hook-up cable is
value. This corresponds to a 16 volt setting on included with each power supply. The
the fast charging booster power supply. Pulse connector on the cable is polarized for proper
width is then adjusted to provide the insertion into the welder port. For power
appropriate energy into the weld. supply hookup the red banana plug is inserted
into the positive supply terminal (red) and black

Weld Energy
Pulse Energy Level

Weld Attachment
Weld Energy Ext. Switch
Indicator
Button Switch Fast Charge Port

Figure 4: The CD125SP single pulse CD resistance welder front panel

into the negative terminal (black). When using

Weld Actuation alternate external power supplies it is critical
All Sunstone welders come with a panel mount that the user does not exceed 18VDC into the
button switch. The welders also have a port for fast charging port. Doing so will damage the
a foot switch or other external normally open welder and void its warranty.
switch. The external switch connection is
made with a Molex 03-06-1038 connector and Weld Attachments
02-06-1103 terminals. The bottom two pins in Sunstone Engineering produces a variety of
the ext. switch connector pictured in Figure 4 welding hand pieces and weld heads to
are used in the NO circuit. accommodate a diverse range of welding
applications. Hand piece welding attachments
allow ease of use and versatility, while fixed
weld heads provide control and precision. To
Fast Charging Port simplify setup, all welding attachments use a
As discussed, the welders are intended for use high current snap-in connector. Sunstone
with a charge booster / fast charging power welders can also be used with other
supply. The fast charging port on the welder manufacturers weld heads through the use of
allows an external, high current power supply an adapter cable. Sunstone Engineering
Copyright 2006 Sunstone Engineering 3
does not recommend that the user assemble
an attachment connector without proper
tooling. A “pig tail” connector can be purchase
with free wire ends to construct custom welding
attachments.

Back Panel
All Sunstone Welders use a 24VDC power
supply. A 2.1mm ID 5.5mm OD connector is
located on the welder back panel. The fuse
holder (located on the back panel) accepts 5 x
20mm 5A fuses.

SAFETY
Please follow these points to help insure your
comfort and safety.

1. Always wear safety glasses when

working with spot welders and weld
heads.
2. Avoid touching welds spots immediately
after the weld has been performed as
they will be hot.
3. Be careful not to pinch fingers in moving
weld head parts or between welding
electrodes.
4. Remove hand jewelry before welding.

All welds are performed at low voltage for

increased safety of operation.

Additional Information

For additional information and instructional

videos please visit our web pages.

www.SunstoneEngineering.com

Copyright 2006 Sunstone Engineering 4

Sunstone Single Pulse Resistance Welder Technical Specifications

Feature CD125SP
Pulse Energy Adjustment (% of set-point energy) 3%-100%
Peak Current (typical) 1200 Amps

Single Pulse Welding Speed

Pulse Width Rep Rate CD125SP

(welds/min)
3% 166
25% 166
50% 155
100% 150

Sunstone Single Pulse Resistance Welder Pulse Characteristics

Model Min Output Max Output Capacitor Bank Pulse Width Rise Time Min Pulse Height
CD125SP 0.2 ws 125 ws 800,000 μF Min 0.5 ms 10's of μs 4.0 V
Max 17 ms 10's of μs 4.0 V

Physical Characteristics

CD125SP PS25A (booster) PS35A (booster)

Inches cm Inches cm Inches cm
Height 3.6 9.1 7.1 18.0 5 12.7
Width 10.3 26.2 9.1 23.1 9.2 23.4
Depth 12 30.5 11.8 30.0 14 35.6
Weight 5 lbs (2.26 kg) 20 lbs (9.1 kg) 29 lbs (13.2 kg)

PowerStream Technology
www.powerstream.com

140 South Mountainway Dr.

Orem, UT 84058
Phone:801-764-9060
Fax: 801-764-9061
Copyright 2006 Sunstone Engineering 5