Development of Multi-Part Field-Shapers for Magnetic Pulse Welding Using Nanostructured Cu-Nb Composite

Magnetic pulse welding (MPW) employs a strong pulsed magnetic field to accelerate parts against each other, thus forming an impact joint. Single-turn tool coils and field-shapers (FSs) used in MPW operate under the most demanding conditions, such as magnetic fields of 40–50 T with periods lasting tens of microseconds. With the use of conventional copper and bronze coils, intense thermo-mechanical stresses lead to the rapid degradation of the working bore. This work aimed to improve the efficiency of field-shapers and focused on the development of two- and four-slit FSs with a nanocomposite Cu 18Nb brazed wire acting as an inner current-carrying layer. The measured ratios of the magnetic field to the discharge current were 56.3 and 50.6 T/MA for the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. FEM calculations of the magnetic field generated showed variations of 6–9% and 3% for the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. The ovality percentages following copper tube compression were 27% and 7% for the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. The measured deviations in the weld-joining length were 11% and 1.4% in the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. Compared to the previous experiments on an entirely steel inductor, the novel FS showed significantly better results in terms of its efficiency and the homogeneity of its magnetic field.