Arc stud welding is used to join metal studs to sheet materials. It works well across a range of stud diameters and base material thicknesses, and utilizes a ceramic ferrule that serves both to contain the arc and form a weld fillet; shielding gas may also be employed.
Capacitor Discharge
The capacitor discharge stud welding method is ideal for applications where fasteners must be secured quickly without compromising quality of weld. With this approach, ceramic ferrules are attached to both ends of each stud fastener, then pushed against the work surface under spring tension until they weld together. When activated, their charged capacitor releases an electricity burst which melts both ends along with some base metal while an arc shield focuses heat onto producing high-quality fusion welds.
Arc discharge welding can be challenging to implement on materials with high points or contaminants like mill scale, oil and rust due to its short arc length not being sufficient to completely burn these away; nevertheless it remains one of the most popular stud welding methods due to its speed and simple setup process. Construction equipment manufacturers use it often when assembling inspection cover plate attachments, enclosures, flow indicators and material handling equipment while automotive and agricultural manufacturers often employ it when manufacturing parts like fender, bracket, cab shroud parts along with spreaders, thresher teeth and wiring management components among many others.
Drawn Arc
This welding technique produces strong and penetrative welds on materials of 2 mm or thicker thickness. It allows for surface curvature as well as light imperfections such as light rusting, grease or scale to occur on materials being joined, eliminating punching, drilling, tapping and riveting altogether – saving on labor costs by permitting only one worker to complete their task at one time.
Drawing Arc Technique (DAT) requires loading the stud into the gun with a ceramic ferrule protecting its end from molten metal. Once you press your weld gun trigger, an electric solenoid in the gun activates, lifting and lifting until a preset height above base metal has been reached, whereupon it plunges into its pool of molten metal.
This technique boasts the shortest weld times among all arc stud welding techniques, helping minimize heat buildup without distortion or discoloration of base material. Furthermore, short weld times help prevent pores forming within welded joints – ideal for non-structural applications that require rapid attachment with an unblemished backside finish.
Short Arc
Arc welding employs either AC or DC electrical current to generate an arc between the stud and base metal, instantly creating a one-sided weld without punching, drilling or tapping required for traditional welds. Arc welding also has the added advantage of being performed on painted surfaces saving both labor and materials costs.
As soon as the gun’s trigger is depressed, the internal lift mechanism of the stud activates, drawing it toward the work piece through a pilot arc and into contact with it. Once in contact with molten material, welding current begins flowing along its path immediately upon entry to molten zone. Following an adjustable arcing time period has passed, weld cable de-energization occurs allowing it to sink downward into material to become part of weld while ceramic ferrule is removed for disposal.
With this technique of stud welding, only a small portion of base metal is melted at one time – thus minimizing any chance of discoloration on the opposite side of your work piece. This approach works especially well when welding thin-walled or small diameter studs together.
Flux-Loaded Studs
Stud welding is used across industries to assemble components of fender, body, bracket and cab vehicles as well as insulation, electrical wiring, brake lines and exhaust systems. Furthermore, agricultural use also makes use of this process when it comes to assembling thresher teeth, shrouding and tractor components.
Drawn arc stud welding involves inserting the stud with its pip into a welding gun’s chuck adapter, followed by placing a ceramic ferrule as an arc shield to control and contain the welding arc while serving as a container for any molten metal that might come off during welding.
Once in place, studs are submerged by means of a lifting mechanism in the welding gun and ignited with secondary arc welding to the base material by means of secondary arcing between parent material and stud. Once adjusted welding time has expired, current is shut off, ignition tip burned off and weld pool removed. With regular maintenance programs designed to clean, inspect and blowout power sources regularly; dust can buildup on electronic components which shortens their lifespan significantly.
Templates
Templates help ensure consistent stud placement and alignment. Most commonly made from bakelite with spacers to allow air to escape during welding, these templates can also be swapped out when your welding diameter changes.
A plasma welder uses an arc welder to weld studs onto work pieces, melting both components. This method is ideal for smaller-diameter studs with thinner base materials; only one end of each weld stud is exposed to heat, meaning only small amounts of material melts resulting in minimal risk for discoloration or marring on the reverse side of the work piece.
Short cycle welding requires a higher current level than capacitor discharge and may need weld shielding gas, though the same equipment as drawn arc can also be used without weld pool protection (ceramic rings or shielding gas). Short weld times result in weld strengths surpassing those achieved with stud shank welding techniques, making short cycle suitable for applications where speed and cost are critical considerations – for instance in automotive manufacturing where this technique is used to assemble heat shields, power steering components, dashboard components insulation lighting systems as well as brake lines while construction equipment manufacturers utilize it assemble inspection cover plate attachments enclosures flow indicators material handling equipment etc.