Fronius marks 20 years of Cold Metal Transfer welding technology

Home
Industry News
Fronius marks 20 years of Cold Metal Transfer welding technology

Fronius marks 20 years of Cold Metal Transfer welding technology

Industry News
Jun 17,25

Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) is a breakthrough welding process delivering unmatched precision, stability, and versatility across industries like automotive and aerospace.

Fronius marks 20 years of Cold Metal Transfer welding technology

Fronius, the innovation leader in arc welding, is marking the 20th anniversary of its pioneering Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) welding process. Since launching in 2005, CMT has transformed welding practices and set new benchmarks for precision, stability, and adaptability.

The CMT process relies on a reversing wire movement that allows controlled droplet detachment. This motion delivers a stable arc and minimises heat input.

The result is nearly spatter-free, clean welds of superior quality and visual appeal. A further benefit of the CMT process is the reduced thermal load on the component, lessening distortion and warping—particularly advantageous for thin sheets from 0.3 millimetres and materials sensitive to heat. Accurate control of the welding process enables completion of complex welding tasks with maximum precision.

CMT also makes it possible to join dissimilar materials. For example, galvanised steel and aluminium can be welded securely and consistently, enabling inventive approaches in production.

“Over the past 20 years, CMT has proven to be a flexible welding solution used across many sectors. Even we are often amazed by the creative ways our customers leverage CMT to address their welding needs,” said Franziska Eichhorn, Strategic Product Manager, Fronius International.

In automotive manufacturing, for instance, CMT joins thin sheets and lightweight materials like aluminium, ensuring durable, dependable bonds in vehicle frames and components.

The aerospace sector likewise benefits, using CMT to weld lightweight yet strong materials vital for aircraft and spacecraft structures.

CMT’s superior stability also sees it used in 3D printing and electronics, where it is employed for precision brazing of components.

CMT’s signature wire motion has reshaped robotic welding through the WireSense intelligent assistance system. This improves weld seam quality and operational efficiency by identifying and correcting deviations during industrial production. The welding wire acts as a sensor, pinpointing weld positions and dynamically adjusting them. This saves time, material, and costs by minimising rework and defects.

Future-ready technology

“The key is the flawless coordination of components and the precision of their control,” Eichhorn explained. “The synergy between our intelligent welding systems and the Robacta Drive CMT—our second wirefeeder on the torch—remains unrivalled and continues to evolve to meet industry demands. Best of all, CMT can be retrofitted to all smart Fronius machines.”

Fronius has refined CMT over time, creating specialised variants such as CMT Mix, CMT Cycle Step, CMT Cladding, and CMT Braze.

LaserHybrid CMT merges laser welding’s strengths with CMT’s advantages. This technique excels in high-strength steel and aluminium work, offering speed, precision, and cost-efficiency. A powerful laser penetrates the base material, followed by CMT which builds the seam and further reduces heat input.

The latest evolution is CMT Additive Pro, developed for metal 3D printing. These features significantly enhance additive manufacturing performance.