|
|
|
|
|
Copper Development Association Inc. (CDA) serves as the advanced market development and engineering services arm of the copper and brass industry in the USA. CDA has four major objectives:
Membership in CDA is open to copper producers worldwide and to brass mill, wire mill and foundry fabricators of copper and copper alloys with production facilities in the USA.
Membership provides the opportunity to be part of an industry-wide market development and technical service program so large and diverse that no one company would be prepared to undertake it alone.
CDA's program of market development and technical service consists of the following elements:
CDA’s main thrust is the prototype development of appropriate new applications for copper and its alloys. These programs have demonstrated the technical and economic feasibility of innovative copper uses in engineered copper fire sprinkler systems, in drainage plumbing systems (“Sovent”) and in copper-nickel sheathing of offshore and marine structures – to mention three examples where significant current sales have resulted directly from successful CDA prototype development work.
Traditional applications of copper alloys can also be expanded by industry-wide market development effort. Three current CDA projects aimed at making long-time copper markets grow, for example, focus on screw machine products (brass rod), electric motors (magnet wire), and roofing (copper sheet).
Some CDA programs are strictly defensive to counter penetration of large copper markets by competing materials. One high-priority current CDA project of this type is to defend the copper and brass auto radiator market against inroads by aluminum and plastics through the engineering development of new machinery to produce radiator tube from thin strip and the development of new radiator solders which are stronger, lighter and cheaper. Defense of the copper water tube market against plastics is another example.
 |
 |