Clad Metals & Bimetal Strip
Clad metals bond two or more metals into a single strip so the part gets properties no single alloy can deliver: copper conductivity on the working face with aluminum weight and cost in the body, or silver at the contact point over a copper conductor that carries the load. Stamped clad strip is the standard answer where a solid silver part would be uneconomic and an aluminum part would fail electrically - battery interconnects, transition joints, high-current contact faces and thermal spreaders that must not set up a galvanic couple at the interface.
ISTAMPING stamps clad and bimetal strip from 0.05 to 3.0 mm on 25-110 ton progressive dies at ±0.005 mm positioning accuracy, with strip specified by bond type (roll-bonded or explosively welded), layer ratio and the metallurgical bond line position relative to the forming features. The engineering risk in clad work is not the stamping - it is the bond line: a bend that puts the interface in tension can delaminate years later. We review bond orientation against the bend direction at DFM, set minimum bend radii per clad combination, and verify shear strength and interface integrity on first-article and salt-spray testing where the application calls for it.
Key Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Construction | Roll-bonded or explosively welded strip; layer ratio specified per program |
| Electro-thermal Trade-off | Copper or silver working face with aluminum or steel structural body |
| Bond Integrity | Shear strength and interface position verified on first-article inspection |
| Formability | Minimum bend radius set per clad combination and bond orientation |
| Galvanic Design | Cladding removes the aluminum-to-copper joint from the assembly, not just the drawing |
Typical Applications
- Battery pack interconnects and transition joints
- High-current contact faces on busbars
- Copper-aluminum power terminals
- Thermal spreaders with conductive faces
- Silver-faced switch contacts
- EV and energy-storage connectors
Common Alloys
Copper-aluminum clad strip, Silver-copper clad strip, Nickel-copper and nickel-steel bimetal, Copper-steel-copper sandwich strip
Finishing & Coatings
- Cladding as the functional finish (no post-plating required)
- Tin plating over clad faces via managed partner lines
- Selective silver retained on the working face
- Anti-tarnish treatment for bare copper faces
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Progressive die stamping, in-house tooling and assembly — from prototype to mass production. Send your drawing and volume, get a quote within 24 hours.