Is all copper the same?
Copper is a multi-purpose material whose properties have been valued for thousands of years. It is used in many areas of the economy. It is widely used in plumbing, construction, chemical industries and even medicine. The use of copper is very widespread and not always linked to the energy industry. Copper material is used to make cold rooms, heat exchangers, roofing or as part of the coins. This means that flexible power connections can be made from the same copper used for plumbing?
Copper types
Copper composition is very difficult to see with the naked eye. It may differ slightly in color and hardness, but it is not possible to evaluate the material without a professional laboratory. Copper smelters themselves describe the raw material composition. On this basis, one can decide on the purpose of the raw material.
This means that flexible power connections can be made from the same copper used for plumbing?
Absolutely not. Although individual types of copper hardly differ visually, it is not possible to use such power connections, especially if they are operated with high currents. So where did the idea of using a different type of copper for flexible high-current connections come from?Price works wonders
This has to do with the fact that the copper composition has a decisive influence on the price of the raw material. When producing flexible high-current connections, we use pure electrolytic copper with very high current conductivity. Such copper is definitely more expensive than, for example, the copper used in the production of central heating pipes or cooling systems.
Copper components that are not intended for electrical conductivity may be made of alloys that have significantly lower electrical conductivity. It is not necessary to use a raw material that has a high content of pure copper if the product is to be a component of a system that does not conduct electricity but only supplies liquid, e.g. to the cooling elements.
Electrolyte – copper
Electrolyte - Copper has a conductivity of 101.5% of the IACS and is even a few tens of percent more expensive than other types of copper. There is therefore a risk that the dishonest manufacturer will use copper material with inferior conductivity in order to achieve a price advantage over the competition.
Although the above incident is rather unusual in Europe, every customer expects (except for timely delivery of goods) relevant certificates confirming the use of appropriate raw materials for production.
So which types of electrolytic copper can be successfully used in the production of flexible high-current connections for vibration compensation and connecting busbars?
This copper has different names: CW004A, Cu-ETP, E-Cu57, ETP C11000, BS C101, SECu.
When is the unsuitable type of copper most often unfairly used in the production of power connections?
When making power strips from copper strands, the connection surfaces are often made from copper hydraulic pipes (Cu-DHP), which are available at common installation stores. This is not a big problem with small cross-sections, but with larger currents the current bands have a higher resistance. This can cause heating of the current band.
By the way, there is an option to check the raw materials used. A thermal imaging camera shows the temperature of the power connections when they are connected. Sometimes dishonesty arises not only from financial reasons, but also from the impossibility of ordering the raw materials that the customer wants from us at short notice. But you have to inform the customer that the delivery time is impossible due to waiting for the raw material.
In the case of copper fin flexible power connections, the dishonest manufacturer may use an unsuitable raw material for the entire power connection without meeting the flexible power connection standards.
KUVER GmbH is a responsible manufacturer. All our products are made from raw materials with appropriate certificates and their origin leaves no doubt. Supplier diversification is necessary to ensure timely deliveries. That's why we work closely with the two European raw material manufacturers. Leoni GmbH has been our main supplier for many years (https://www.leoni.com/en/). We also use raw materials from Aurubis (https://www.aurubis.com/en).
How do you protect yourself from an unfair manufacturer?
As mentioned at the beginning, European manufacturers observe standards. However, if we decide to supply flexible power strips from other regions of the world, it should be taken into account that the low price does not always depend on production costs, but on the raw material used.
Considering that there is a risk that the power strips are made of copper that is not intended for the energy industry, we should protect ourselves by demanding certificates from our suppliers, as well as information about who the manufacturer of the raw material is.
Our investments in energy infrastructure are worth millions, with electricity connections making up a fraction of the value. Therefore, it would be careless if there were a failure or a fire. Property damage can be repaired, while a tarnished image can cause serious financial and contractual problems.
If you would like to know more about what raw materials we use and what our quality policy is, please contact me directly. I would be happy to answer any questions and also present the production process at KUVER GmbH.