1 Introduction
Power tools are portable hand tools driven by electric energy, applied in construction, decoration, automotive repair, furniture manufacturing, assembly, gardening, metal processing and other fields. By function divided into drilling, cutting, grinding, fastening, gardening, cleaning, detection seven major categories, by power divided into AC, DC, lithium battery three major categories. Core components include motor, transmission mechanism, switch, control circuit, power system.
Copper clad aluminum wire is copper layer clad aluminum core bimetallic composite conductor, combining aluminum low density low cost with copper conductive weldability, is power tool motor key winding material. Based on ASTM B566, IEC 60317, NEMA MW 1000-2018, GB/T 6109, JB/T 4074 and other standards, this article systematically describes its application in power tools from seven dimensions.
2 Power Tools and Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Overview
2.1 Power Tool Classification
Power tools are divided into seven major categories by function. Drilling category hand drill, impact drill, hammer drill, rotary hammer, magnetic drill stand. Cutting category circular saw, reciprocating saw, jigsaw, band saw, chain saw. Grinding category angle grinder, die grinder, bench grinder, polisher. Fastening category electric wrench, electric screwdriver, impact socket. Gardening category electric mower, pruning machine, hedge trimmer, blower. Cleaning category high pressure washer, vacuum cleaner. Detection category laser level, range finder, multimeter.
2.2 Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Product System
Copper clad aluminum wire product system covers round wire, enameled wire, flat wire, stranded wire four major categories. Round wire is mainstream, conductor 0.10 to 4.00 mm, copper volume ratio 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% five grades. Enameled wire coated with insulating varnish film, film covers PEW, UEW, EIW, AIW, PI, PAI, EIW composite coating.
Flat wire width 1.00 to 8.00 mm, thickness 0.50 to 3.00 mm, copper ratio 15% to 90%. Stranded wire stranded by multiple single wires, cross section area 0.50 to 50 square mm.
2.3 Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Technical Standard
Copper clad aluminum wire technical standards cover ASTM B566 copper clad aluminum bare wire, IEC 60317 enameled wire, NEMA MW 1000-2018, GB/T 6109/7095/4074, JB/T 4074.
ASTM B566 divides copper clad aluminum wire into Class 10, 15, 20, 30 four classes, copper volume 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%. Class 10 and 15 suitable for RF, Class 20 and 30 suitable for power winding.
2.4 Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Technical Features
Lightweight, aluminum core density 2.70 g/cm³, is 30% of copper 8.96 g/cm³, wire weight reduced 35% to 50%. Low cost, aluminum price is 15% to 25% of copper price, raw material cost reduced 30% to 50%. Conductivity, conductivity is 60% to 70% of copper wire, Class 30 reaches 70%. Weldability, copper layer can be tin soldered, resistance welded, laser welded, ultrasonic welded. Aluminum copper bonding, metallurgical bonding, 90° bending 5 to 10 times without peeling.
3 Power Tool Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Technical Characteristics
3.1 Electrical Performance
Resistivity, Class 10 2.74×10⁻⁸ Ω·m, Class 15 2.65×10⁻⁸, Class 20 2.56×10⁻⁸, Class 30 2.42×10⁻⁸ Ω·m.
Conductivity, Class 10 63% IACS, Class 15 65%, Class 20 67%, Class 30 71% IACS.
Skin effect, 50 Hz 9.33 mm, 400 Hz 3.30 mm, 10 kHz 0.66 mm. Power tool frequency 50 Hz to 1 kHz, far greater than wire diameter, influence negligible.
Insulation strength, varnish film breakdown 1500 to 8000 V, insulation resistance greater than or equal to 1000 MΩ·km.
Impedance, AC resistance slightly higher than DC, below 1 kHz negligible.
3.2 Mechanical Performance
Tensile, pure aluminum core 70 to 110 MPa, Class 15 to 30 copper clad aluminum wire 90 to 150 MPa, lower than pure copper wire 200 to 280 MPa.
Elongation, pure aluminum core 15% to 25%, copper clad aluminum wire 10% to 20%. Hardness, aluminum core 25 to 35 HV, copper layer 60 to 100 HV, overall 35 to 50 HV.
Bending resistance, 90° bending 5 to 10 times without peeling. Vibration resistance, frequency 10 to 500 Hz, acceleration 5 to 20 g, vibration resistance 1000 hours plus without breakage.
3.3 Thermal Performance
Heat resistance, PEW 130℃, UEW 130℃, EIW 180℃, AIW 200℃, PI 240℃. Power tool working temperature 80 to 180℃, select EIW or AIW.
Thermal expansion, aluminum 23×10⁻⁶/℃, copper 17×10⁻⁶/℃, copper clad aluminum wire about 20×10⁻⁶/℃. Thermal cycle 100 to 500 times bonding strength decline 10% to 30%.
Thermal conductivity, aluminum 237, copper 401, copper clad aluminum wire 200 to 300 W/m·K, beneficial for heat dissipation.
Thermal stability, 180℃ long term 10000 h plus, 200℃ 5000 h plus, 220℃ 2000 h plus.
3.4 Chemical and Welding Performance
Corrosion resistance, copper layer provides cathodic protection, atmospheric corrosion resistance 5 to 15 years.
Chemical resistance, weak acid weak alkali resistant, strong acid strong alkali not resistant. Damp heat resistance, 85℃/85% RH 1000 h plus. Salt fog resistance, 5% NaCl 500 h plus.
Welding, copper layer provides excellent weldability, tin solder 280 to 350℃. Resistance weld pressure 0.2 to 0.5 MPa, 5000 to 15000 A. Laser weld power 500 to 2000 W, ultrasonic weld frequency 20 to 40 kHz.
4 Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Application in Power Tools
4.1 Hand Drill and Impact Drill
Hand drill and impact drill are common drilling tools, motor 300 to 1500 W, speed 0 to 3000 rpm, single phase series motor or brushless DC motor.
Hand drill 300 to 800 W, 12 to 230 V, 0 to 3000 rpm, B to F class, PEW or EIW, conductor 0.30 to 0.80 mm, Class 15 to 20.
Impact drill 500 to 1500 W, impact frequency 0 to 50000 bpm, EIW or AIW, conductor 0.40 to 1.00 mm, Class 15 to 30.
Hammer drill 600 to 2000 W, impact 2 to 20 J, F to H class, AIW, conductor 0.50 to 1.20 mm, Class 20 to 30.
4.2 Electric Saw and Angle Grinder
Electric saw and angle grinder are high speed rotating cutting and grinding tools, speed 3000 to 30000 rpm.
Circular saw 800 to 2400 W, 3000 to 6000 rpm, F to H class, conductor 0.50 to 1.20 mm, Class 20 to 30.
Angle grinder 500 to 2500 W, 3000 to 12000 rpm, F to H class, conductor 0.40 to 1.00 mm, Class 15 to 30.
Reciprocating saw 500 to 1500 W, stroke 20 to 30 mm, F to H class, conductor 0.40 to 1.00 mm, Class 15 to 30.
Jigsaw 400 to 900 W, stroke 18 to 26 mm, F class, conductor 0.30 to 0.80 mm, Class 15 to 20.
4.3 Electric Wrench and Impact Wrench
Electric wrench and impact wrench are fastening tools, motor 200 to 1500 W, torque 50 to 2000 N·m.
Electric wrench 200 to 1000 W, 12 to 230 V, maximum torque 50 to 800 N·m, B to F class, PEW or EIW, conductor 0.30 to 0.80 mm, Class 15 to 20.
Impact wrench 300 to 1500 W, maximum torque 100 to 2000 N·m, impact frequency 0 to 3500 bpm, F class, EIW, conductor 0.40 to 1.00 mm, Class 20 to 30.
Electric screwdriver 50 to 500 W, maximum torque 5 to 50 N·m, B to F class, conductor 0.20 to 0.60 mm, Class 15.
Impact socket 500 to 1200 W, maximum torque 100 to 1500 N·m, F class, conductor 0.40 to 1.00 mm, Class 20 to 30.
4.4 Gardening Tools and Power Tools
Electric mower, pruning machine, hedge trimmer, chain saw, blower are common gardening tools, motor 200 to 2500 W, DC brushless motor.
Electric mower 800 to 2500 W, 3000 to 3600 rpm, F to H class, conductor 0.50 to 1.20 mm, Class 20 to 30.
Pruning machine 200 to 1000 W, chain speed 5 to 15 m/s, F class, conductor 0.30 to 0.80 mm, Class 15 to 20.
Hedge trimmer 300 to 800 W, blade 1500 to 3500 rpm, F class, conductor 0.30 to 0.80 mm, Class 15 to 20.
Electric chain saw 800 to 2400 W, chain speed 10 to 25 m/s, F to H class, conductor 0.40 to 1.00 mm, Class 20 to 30.
Blower 500 to 2500 W, wind speed 50 to 100 m/s, F class, conductor 0.40 to 1.00 mm, Class 20 to 30.
5 Copper Clad Aluminum Wire and Copper Enameled Wire Comparison
5.1 Physical Performance Comparison
Density, copper clad aluminum wire 3.50 to 4.50 g/cm³, copper enameled wire 8.96 g/cm³, density reduced 50% to 60%.
Conductivity, copper enameled wire 100% IACS, Class 15 65%, Class 20 67%, Class 30 71%. Resistivity, copper enameled wire 1.72×10⁻⁸, Class 15 2.65×10⁻⁸, Class 20 2.56×10⁻⁸ Ω·m.
Mechanical, copper enameled wire 200 to 280 MPa, copper clad aluminum wire 90 to 150 MPa, 45% to 75% of copper. Thermal expansion, copper 17×10⁻⁶/℃, copper clad aluminum wire 20×10⁻⁶/℃.
Thermal conductivity, copper enameled wire 401, copper clad aluminum wire 200 to 300 W/m·K.
5.2 Economic Performance Comparison
Material cost, copper clad aluminum wire reduced 30% to 50% versus copper enameled wire, aluminum price 15% to 25% of copper price.
Processing cost, close to copper enameled wire, difference within 10%. Running cost, weight reduced 35% to 50%, efficiency reduced 1% to 3%.
Comprehensive cost, copper clad aluminum wire reduced 25% to 40% versus copper enameled wire, widely applied in power tools.
5.3 Power Tool Applicability Comparison
Speed, copper clad aluminum wire 30000 rpm, copper enameled wire 50000 rpm, suitable for medium and low speed power tools.
Torque, copper clad aluminum wire 5 N·m, copper enameled wire 10 N·m, suitable for medium and small torque. Power, copper clad aluminum wire 50 to 2500 W, copper enameled wire 50 to 5000 W.
Efficiency, copper clad aluminum wire reduced 1% to 3%, copper enameled wire higher 2% to 5%. Life, copper clad aluminum wire 500 to 2000 h, copper enameled wire 1000 to 5000 h.
6 Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Selection and Design
6.1 Selection Principle
Power matching, 50 to 500 W select Class 15, conductor 0.20 to 0.60 mm. 500 to 1500 W select Class 20, 0.30 to 1.00 mm. 1500 to 3000 W select Class 30, 0.50 to 1.50 mm.
Heat resistance, B 130 PEW/UEW, F 155 PEW/EIW, H 180 EIW/AIW, N 200 AIW, R 220 PI.
Insulation, breakdown greater than or equal to 3 times working voltage, low voltage less than or equal to 100 V 1000 to 3000 V, medium voltage 100 to 1000 V 3000 to 8000 V.
Mechanical, tensile greater than or equal to 90 MPa, elongation greater than or equal to 10%, bending resistance 5 to 10 times. Economy, cost reduced 25% to 40%.
6.2 Joint Design
Copper clad aluminum wire and copper wire joint is motor key process, methods cover cold crimping, mechanical crimping, friction welding, flash welding, ultrasonic welding five categories.
Cold crimping, 5 to 30 kN, 1 to 5 seconds, 0.50 to 4.00 square mm. Mechanical crimping, 0.5 to 2 MPa, 1 to 3 seconds, suitable for mass production.
Friction welding, 1000 to 3000 rpm, 0.5 to 2 MPa, 1 to 5 seconds. Flash welding, 1000 to 5000 A, 0.1 to 1 seconds. Ultrasonic welding, 20 to 40 kHz, 0.1 to 0.5 MPa, 0.5 to 2 seconds.
6.3 Insulation Treatment
Insulation treatment adopts immersion, dip, roll, UV curing four types. Immersion, vacuum 50 to 100 Pa, 0.2 to 0.5 MPa, 8 to 24 h. Dip, room temperature to 80℃, 5 to 30 minutes.
Roll, room temperature to 60℃, 30 to 60 minutes. UV curing, 500 to 2000 mJ/cm², 5 to 30 seconds.
7 Copper Clad Aluminum Wire Application Notes and Future Trends
7.1 Application Notes
Application notes cover copper aluminum bonding, contact resistance, temperature rise, vibration fatigue, corrosion protection, assembly process, insulation treatment seven items.
Copper aluminum bonding, select Class 20 plus, copper layer greater than or equal to 0.05 mm, bonding strength greater than or equal to 90 MPa. Contact resistance, control within 1 mΩ, tin or silver plating.
Temperature rise, 5 to 10℃ higher than copper enameled wire, motor temperature rise less than or equal to 120℃, forced air cooling. Vibration, acceleration 5 to 20 g, 10 to 500 Hz, Class 20 plus, vibration resistance 1000 h plus without breakage.
Corrosion, atmospheric corrosion resistance 5 to 15 years, tin plating or varnish film protection, storage -10 to 40℃, humidity less than or equal to 80%. Assembly, bending radius greater than or equal to 2 times wire diameter, assembly force less than or equal to 10 N. Insulation, varnish film complete, breakdown greater than or equal to 3 times working voltage, insulation resistance greater than or equal to 1000 MΩ.
7.2 Future Trends
Future trends embody five directions, high conductivity, high strength, high temperature resistant varnish film, copper aluminum composite structure, copper clad aluminum flat wire.
High conductivity, develop Class 40/50/60, conductivity 73% to 80% IACS, narrow gap with pure copper.
High strength, tensile greater than or equal to 200 MPa, aluminum core alloying, copper layer thickness increase.
High temperature resistant varnish film, PAI/PI/PBI 220 to 300℃, satisfy high power high temperature application.
Copper aluminum composite structure, copper layer ratio 10% to 90%, adapt to different motor demand.
Copper clad aluminum flat wire, width 1.00 to 8.00 mm, thickness 0.50 to 3.00 mm, slot fill factor improved 5% to 15%.
8 Summary
Copper clad aluminum wire application in power tools covers hand drill, impact drill, hammer drill, circular saw, angle grinder, electric wrench, impact wrench, electric mower, pruning machine, chain saw, blower and other drilling, cutting, grinding, fastening, gardening all power tools, is winding key material.
Technical characteristics embody electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, welding five dimensions, Class 10 to 30 five series, conductivity 63% to 71% IACS, tensile 90 to 150 MPa, heat resistance 130 to 220℃, resistivity 2.42 to 2.74×10⁻⁸ Ω·m.
Application covers hand drill 300 to 800 W, impact drill 500 to 1500 W, hammer drill 600 to 2000 W, circular saw 800 to 2400 W, angle grinder 500 to 2500 W, electric wrench 200 to 1000 W, impact wrench 300 to 1500 W, electric mower 800 to 2500 W, pruning machine 200 to 1000 W, electric chain saw 800 to 2400 W, blower 500 to 2500 W.
Future development directions include high conductivity Class 40/50/60, tensile greater than or equal to 200 MPa, PAI/PI/PBI 220 to 300℃ high temperature resistant, copper aluminum composite structure, copper clad aluminum flat wire.
Reference standards: ASTM B566, IEC 60317, NEMA MW 1000-2018, GB/T 6109, GB/T 7095, GB/T 4074, JB/T 4074.
Contact Information: E-mail office@cnlpzz.com, WhatsApp 0086-19337889070, Zhengzhou LP Industry Co., Ltd.
- Email: office@cnlpzz.com
- WhatsApp: 0086-19337889070
- Company: Zhengzhou LP Industry Co., Ltd.