Fusion welding is the permanent joining of a finding to a jewelry piece through the discharge of electricity rather than the traditional method of melting solder between these two pieces. The bond formed through the fusion process is a melding of the two metals resulting in a welded joint. In contrast to soldering methods, fusion welding generates localized heat which is dissipated within milliseconds leaving the surrounding area unaffected and unblemished.  It enhances the ability to repair finished pieces; even with stones in place it is easy to replace or add new findings. Fusion welding occurs in a wide variety of industries including furniture making and automobile manufacturing as well as jewelry.

Background
Applications for fusion welding grew out of the military in World War II when it was used to attach large studs to battleships thus holding the plates to one another.  From there, fusion welding moved into the automotive and furniture-making trade. During the 1960s fusion welding expanded to the general jewelry trade as mass producers of emblematic jewelry fused findings on service recognition awards featuring company logos. The military found another application when they switched from cloth branch of service or rank insignias which were sewn onto uniform sleeves to metal ones worn on the collar. This transition resulted in tens of millions of base metal posts fused to the new insignias. In costume jewelry the ability to bind dissimilar metals fostered the wide use of fused stainless steel pierced ear posts to base metal designs. Soldering stainless steel was a difficult process indeed. Fusion welding provided the ready answer. These three major applications - emblematic, military and stainless steel, quickly proved the value of the fusion process to the jewelry business, and jewelers working with precious and semi precious metals soon recognized this potential.

The welding equipment for these operations required the use of air as well as electricity to function. They were designed for large scale, high volume production runs which could capitalize on the automation provided by the fusion welders, and could support both the real estate footprint and necessary capital investment.  The large fusion machine did not, however, meet the needs of the repair trade, craftsperson or smaller volume manufacturers.  In 1987, the mini fusion welder came into the market.

This unit operates with electricity only and was purposely designed with a smaller footprint. Additionally, it is a significantly less expensive piece of equipment making it more affordable for the small business marketplace.

Technical Overview of Fusion Welding
The larger fusion welders and mini welders operate on the same principle: that is capacitors store electrical energy which is discharged through a fusion finding nib when it comes into contact with a jewelry piece. The main difference between the two is size and the fact that the mini welder does not require air to operate.

To illustrate how easy it is to use fusion welding, consider the operating process for the mini welder. It is simplicity itself.  Plug in the equipment. Check to make sure the voltage meter on the capacitor is zero. Select the proper collet for the findings to be fused and insert the finding into the collet. Select a proper jig and prior to fusing, hand lower the collet, to assure that the collet does not impact the jig and that the finding will fuse in the proper location. Raise the collet to its locked position. Charge the capacitor to the prescribed voltage, hold the jewelry piece firmly against the jig and release the trigger. That's it! The fusion process occurs in a millisecond with a bright flash and snap sound.

Fusion Welding and Platinum
The very attributes that contribute to the excitement of working with platinum also foster some of the manufacturing challenges associated with this metal. For example, platinum soldering requires extensive heat. This introduces additional safety considerations as the intense flame may burn the operator's retinas, and requires a highly skilled worker.  Soldering dissimilar metals to platinum presents another set of potential difficulties. Different melt temperatures between the metals demands greater precision and control in the soldering process as well as introducing the threat of cross contamination.

By contrast, fusion welding does not require specialized skills, flux, and solder or separate workbench areas. Since the heat is localized and cools within milliseconds, fusing platinum findings to dissimilar metals is easy and reduces the risk of cross contamination. The assay content of the metals does not change, thereby insuring compliance with assay legal requirements. Another advantage is that not having to be concerned with heat, the jewelry can repair close to stones or intricate designs.

Tack Welders
Although fusion welding is a great tool for many applications, it does not render soldering obsolete. There remain operations, which still require soldering, for example, assembling multiple components of a design or mounting heads to shanks. Often these soldering operations require binding wire or use other holding devices that may be difficult to coordinate and could result in cross contamination.  The same benefits derived from fusion welding can be applied to these areas through the introduction of tack welders.  Tack welders enable the operator to temporarily bind pieces together without the need for binding wire or holding tools. Elimination of such devices helps avoid cross contamination, and dramatically eases the complexities of multiple steps soldering operations. This temporary tack will hold together under the heat and pressure of the soldering torch or oven.

Summary and Conclusion
Platinum has experienced remarkable growth in the jewelry business; Platinum Guild International research indicates sales have increased 1000% since 1992 and there is much evidence to support this trend will continue. The addition of platinum jewelry to television shopping networks illustrates the move towards mass-market appeal. Finding manufacturers continue to add to the array of platinum fusion products. Underlying all this activity is the continued promotional and educational programs sponsored by Platinum Guild International.

Within this growing market, the jeweler ability to produce or repair platinum products with skill and expertise, cost effectively, is vital for maintaining the momentum.  Fusion welding and temporary tack welding are important technical developments for increasing the use of platinum by reducing the jeweler's challenges.

The simplicity of fusion allows the jeweler to concentrate on design and expand the wonderful creativity of their profession. For the retailer, fusion and tack welding can enhance their confidence for promoting platinum, knowing they can easily service potential repairs. Combining these elements, the future for fusion welding and platinum points to a successful and profitable melding of tools, talent and metal.
 

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Fusion of Platinum Findings
John J. Alves Jr.
Triad Inc.

This is an abbreviated version of the original work. For full technical details, please consult the original paper.