ily through the copper, but resistance is
created when the electricity reaches the
steel, as electricity can’t flow through it so
easily. So what happens? The steel gets
really hot, and it gets so hot so quickly that
the metal melts and welds.”
Once you’ve welded the car together, the
job is not done, says Scotchmer. Copper
touching the steel is very soft and melts
at a low temperature, which is problem-
atic since it, too, will start melting during
the high-temperature welding process (re-
ferred to as “mushrooming”). But there
was another issue as well.
Cars manufactured in the 1970s rusted be-
cause salt and other elements ate away at
the vehicle. To resolve this, manufacturers
started using zinc-coated steel. However,
when zinc and copper come in contact,
brass is formed, which is very brittle. Con-
“The unique aspect of why I bought the company was that it had a technology
that I hadn’t seen before and many people didn’t know why it worked.”
Nigel Scotchmer, Owner and President
4
business elite canada
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MARCH 2017
