71790Development of an Advanced Cold Cladding Process for Electrification Applications (ColdClad)ClosedStudyInnovate UKThis project aims to establish the feasibility of developing a process that STL can use to manufacture aluminium and copper bimetal connectors for both the electrification and power supply markets. Currently, these materials or connectors are not available from any UK source and it is doubtful if they are available from any European producer at the sizes STL hopes to make. In the EV sector, material circa 2mm thick is required and this technique could also allow for different thicknesses to be developed. Aluminium is considerably lighter than copper and sufficiently conductive for major parts of the circuit. Copper generally is needed for cell battery terminations but not for bulk current carrying. EVs have up 7000 cells per unit, the halving of the number of welds needed by the use of pre-bonded material would give considerable reliability and cost benefits when considering the alternatives. Laser welding and wire bonding are used in the EV sector and known to have a number of constraints including poor reliability: the fewer joints there are the more reliable the product. And the lighter the better. As far as is known this technique is not practiced by any competitor in this specific field. Variations of the technique are known of in the USA & Europe but this proposal of integral bonding and further processing within one facility is believed to be unique. TWI have some experience in this field but have not yet bonded aluminium to copper and have no facility to do so in such a way, nor any facility to realise the end product. If the technique can be proven to work reliably and that a real market exists, then STL will scale up the bonding into a more hygienic industrial scale process. Alternative cladding and bonding techniques exist, including an embryonic diffusion bonding route from STL. However, the diffusion approach has serious difficulties and constraints for production scale supply. STL has actual business within the EV sector with a customer using stamped mono-metal busbars for a hypercar project and serious interest from others within the start-up and prototype market. From there leverage can be used to address the market for mainstream applications within Europe.