Utilizing capacitor discharge (CD) welding, stud gun operators end-weld small diameter fasteners onto thin gauge parent metal using capacitor stored energy immediately discharged through their weld gun’s “timing” tip.
Drawn arc stud welding creates stronger and deeper welds than CD welding, making it the preferred method for joining metal sheets or coils with different coatings or substrates such as metal sheet material that may contain contaminants like coating or paint. Furthermore, its greater tolerance of dirty surfaces makes this welding method ideal.
Choosing the Right Tool
Your tools have an immense effect on your work. They can increase productivity, ensure precision and quality, promote safety, save both time and money, shape professionalism and reputation; but choosing the proper one for each job is particularly essential when working with electrically charged molten metal, where choosing an inappropriate tool could lead to burns, fire and other potential dangers. Stud gun welding is relatively safe when performed using appropriate equipment – however training and special care must still be taken to avoid injury or damage to equipment and materials.
Capacitor Discharge (CD) welding is an innovative technique that uses an instantaneous burst of electricity to weld small fasteners to thin parent metals with impeccable weld joints, minimal reverse side marking, and strong but lightweight welds. Ideal applications of CD welding include applications that demand perfect weld joints without reverse side marking, as well as strong and lightweight welds that offer outstanding strength.
PIN WELDER: When operating a PIN welder, the stud is loaded into a gun which is connected to both a control cable and power source using its mains connector on the back of the machine. The control cable provides gun trigger signals as well as “foot on work” indicators during gap mode welding. Weld guns also include weld cables which carry current from power supply directly into their guns allowing users to easily perform lift, plunge, trigger functions as well as adjust height arc between fastener and parent material material.
Safety First
As with any machinery, when using a stud gun welder it’s essential to remain aware of your surroundings and those nearby. Notifying everyone in the vicinity that welding will commence and moving out of its path are both vital steps in safety. Furthermore, wearing a mask during welding processes may prevent inhalation of fumes produced from the process.
Capacitor Discharge (CD) type welders fire their studs instantly through a bank of capacitors that have been charged to a pre-set voltage by your power source, then discharged immediately using a special gun, instantly welding into metal sheets in milliseconds – an extremely efficient process which works on thin as well as thick base metal surfaces as well as coated or rusted surfaces.
Drawn Arc and Short Cycle Stud Welding processes take longer than CD and provide more flexibility during welding, but require higher power levels. They’re used when an application requires flexible weld geometry – such as welding in proximity of threaded components – such as when used close together.
HBS provides drawn arc and short cycle stud welding equipment that will get the job done efficiently. Our Hi-Lift drawn arc guns range in lifting capacity; our DA4 and DA5 models can accommodate stud diameters up to 19mm and 22mm respectively.
Getting Started
Stud welding is a fast and strong way of joining metal fasteners to another piece of metal. This process uses special welding guns with electrodes equipped with electric arc technology that combine force with electricity to heat both pieces simultaneously and fuse them together in milliseconds, producing a superior-quality fusion weld that outstrengths the base metal it bonds to.
Starting off in stud welding requires several tools and accessories, including:
Welding Guns
There are numerous types of welding guns designed for various height and diameter ranges. DA3 and DA4 guns can handle up to 19mm in diameter studs while the larger 25mm models like the DA5/DA6 come equipped with power sources that create electrical current and direct it through welding cables to control the welding gun itself and to transfer energy between these sources and gun welders.
The DA1 and DA3 stud gun models are ideal for contact welding, which welds the base of the stud to metal surfaces via contact welding. When finished, it is pressed into a pool of liquid weld until it cools, solidifies, and forms an impregnable bond.
CD and drawn arc stud welding methods are also available, and may be better suited to larger diameters than contact welding. Instead of using flux in their weld area like contact welding does, these processes use flux inside each stud as it descends into its base to melt interfaces with it and maintain an uninterrupted weld zone.
Getting the Job Done
Once your stud gun is set up and loaded, you can start welding. All it takes to begin welding is pressing it against a surface and pulling its trigger; your machine will handle everything else! This process can be as quick as 150 milliseconds; ideal for small diameter studs and thinner base materials since minimal heat generation occurs and only melts the end of each stud and some of its base material simultaneously – helping to prevent distortion or discoloration on the reverse side of material.
Control cables on weld guns transmit trigger and lift signals from their respective stud guns to its controller, who sets up a pilot arc, begins weld current flow and controls duration of arc to ensure an arc forms precisely between stud and material, creating strong and durable welds.
Capacitor discharge stud welding is an efficient solution for smaller diameter studs and thin gauge base materials, as it only takes milliseconds for its weld cycle to finish – perfect for manufacturing applications that need fast connections that also withstand heavy loads and stresses. Furthermore, capacitor discharge welding offers quick repair solutions as it doesn’t cause visible distortions to either side of the material surface – ideal for damaged or worn out surfaces that require quick fixes without visible distortions to reverse side material surfaces.