What the study found
The study found that cable length strongly influenced whether ultrasonically welded cable-arrester joints remained intact or degraded. Unsynchronized vibration transmission, described as relative phase shifts, was identified as the primary cause of joint failure.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say this matters because ultrasonic metal welding is used for lightweight electrical connections in electric vehicles, and vibration from one weld can interfere with previously welded joints. The study suggests that understanding vibration propagation is important for process reliability.
What the researchers tested
The researchers studied stranded aluminum wires joined to copper terminals with linear ultrasonic metal welding. They tested cable lengths from 150 to 1000 mm using laser vibrometry, high-speed videography, and tensile shear testing, and they also built and validated a scaled finite element model in ANSYS Workbench.
What worked and what didn't
Mechanical testing showed robust joints at 300 mm, non-weldable behavior at 225 mm, and isolated failures at 150 mm and 375 mm. Longer cables showed no signs of joint degradation. Laser vibrometry showed decreasing vibration amplitudes with increasing length because of damping, while critical lengths showed pronounced amplitude and phase shifts; the simulations reproduced these effects and identified weld-zone stresses of about 130 MPa at critical lengths.
What to keep in mind
The abstract describes results for EN AW-1370 aluminum stranded wires joined to CW004A copper terminals under linear ultrasonic metal welding, so the findings are specific to this setup. The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the tested cable lengths and materials.
Key points
- Cable length strongly affected joint integrity in ultrasonically welded cable-arrester connections.
- Relative phase shifts in vibration transmission were identified as the main cause of joint failure.
- Robust joints were reported at 300 mm, while 225 mm showed non-weldable behavior.
- 150 mm and 375 mm showed isolated failures, and longer cables showed no joint degradation.
- A finite element model reproduced the measured vibration effects and estimated weld-zone stresses of about 130 MPa at critical lengths.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Cable length affects vibration-related joint degradation in ultrasonically welded connections
- Authors:
- Kai Ehlich, Moritz Kranz, Michael Hasieber, Jean Pierre Bergmann
- Institutions:
- Technische Universität Ilmenau, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Technische Universität Ilmenau
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-05
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with scholarly research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.