Old and New Uses of Stud Welding Equipment in Shipbuilding

The use of stud welding for shipbuilding and other maritime construction is as old as the welding process itself. As far back as the turn of the 19th century, simple forms of stud welding were developed for various shipbuilding purposes.

 

By the end of WWI, stud welding began to play a more significant role for industrial shipbuilding of trade and military vessels. Many wars and technological advancements later, stud welding remains a primary manufacturing operation for shipbuilding large and small. Northland Fastening Systems provides a wide range of reliable, high-quality stud welding equipment suited for any type of shipbuilding projects and other construction welding.

 

From portable automated welding units to highly specified welding studs, NFS has everything you might need for even the largest shipbuilding project. The history of shipbuilding was revolutionized by the development of stud welding procedures suited to the fabrication of seaworthy vessels and other marine components. Today, both drawn arc and CD stud welding are used in a wide range of shipbuilding operations. Some of the most prevalent of these operations include:

 

  • plating hulls and protecting or streamlining other exteriors
  • building decking, bulkheads, and other interior structures
  • fittings including portholes, hatches, or storage units
  • pipe and cable hangers and protection units
  • manhole fittings, winches, ladders, and other functional accessory components
  • propellers, rudders, steering shafts, masts, and other locomotive components
  • connecting lining and wedging joints, anchoring equipment, shell plating, and ceramic backing
  • performing repairs at sea

 

In a nutshell, a broad majority of shipbuilding operations rely on stud welding. Technicians working on shipbuilding projects can find all the stud welding equipment they need with Northland Fastening Systems. Our stud welding technicians provide CD and drawn arc welding services and guidance, and we offer stud welding equipment including stud welding units and welding guns for sale or rent, welding studs for CD and drawn arc welding in a variety of metals, sizes, and other specification, and any other stud welding accessories you may need.

 

Stud welding operations used in shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing contributes to the construction of small boats for personal use, small to large boats for police, forestry, and coast guard purposes, long-haul freighters and milk truck delivery boats, submarine research vessels, pleasure cruise ships, armed military vessels, aircraft carriers, and many other types of sea and freshwater ships.

 

To learn more about the use of stud welding for shipbuilding and other marine construction purposes, contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770, or to find out more about the stud welding equipment we offer, contact request a quote online.

Suitable Materials for Welding and Finding What You Need with NFS Stud Welding Supplies

Metalwork is one of the most important methods of manufacturing for a wide range of construction and production industries. As a part of metalworking as a whole, stud welding has its own place of import in many types of fabrication. From metal equipment manufacturing of all kinds to large-scale construction, stud welding is utilized in the fabrication of many shapes and sizes. If you are working on a project that requires the use of stud welding for clean, quality building, Northland Fastening Systems (NFS) is your one-stop shop for quality stud welding equipment, including tools for rent and purchase, studs fitting all size, thread, and material needs, and stud welding accessories. As a leading industry provider of stud welding supplies locally and globally, NFS has what you need for any project, no matter how complex.

 

While the material used in welding is most often a steel composite, there is a wide variety of additional alloys that are effective for many welding circumstances. From aluminum to copper, stud welding can be performed with several different quality materials.

 

Stud Welding Metals

 

  1. Stainless steel: One of the most commonly used stud materials, stainless steel offers a greater resistance to corrosion. Stainless steel studs are also highly durable and can take many finishing and treatment applications, such as annealing or plating. Both drawn arc and CD stud welding studs can be made from stainless steel.
  2. Mild steel: Also suitable for both drawn arc and CD stud welding, studs made from mild steel alloys are available with a range of properties. Alloys can be made for greater heat resistance, strength, durability, corrosion resistance, acid resistance, flexibility, and more.
  3. Aluminum: Aluminum studs are useful when welding to aluminum bases. NFS offers studs made from aluminum alloys for CD stud welding with options for three different alloy compositions. These alloys vary in properties and provide different fits for different projects.
  4. Brass: CD stud welding can also utilize brass studs. These lead-free brass studs can be welded to a similar brass alloy base or to a lead-free copper alloy base.
  5. Copper: While not typically used as a material for the stud alone, copper can be key when used to plate a CD welding stud. NFS offers copper plating as a standard option for low-carbon steel studs to improve thermal and electrical conductivity from stud to surface.

 

No matter what project you need stud welding to complete, NFS has the stud welding supplies compatible with your welding tools and the base materials you need to weld. Specifications for materials, length, diameter, threading, flanging, plating, annealing, and more are all available to customize your order to the perfect fit for your fabrication requirements.

 

To learn more about the materials and other stud specifications we offer, or to learn about the stud welding tools, welding guns, accessories, and other stud welding supplies Northland Fastening Systems provides, contact us at (651) 730-7770. You can also request a quote online to get started working with us today.

 

Physical Effects of Stud Welding and the Advantages of Automation

Stud welding is a fabrication technique that is critical to a wide range of manufacturing industries. Not only is it used in equipment manufacturing of all shapes and sizes, it’s also an important part of building construction and other large structures. Because of the immense prevalence of stud welding in the industrial world, it’s important to have access to quality stud welding equipment, studs of all dimensions and materials, and comprehensive accessories. That’s why Northland Fastening Systems provides everything fabricators need for their stud welding projects and services.

Stud welding, though an effective and widely versatile fabrication method, requires a lot of repetitive motions. Technicians often perform more than 1,000 welds in one day on the job, and the repeated motions involved in the process can take a physical toll. However, this effect is not the only impact that welding technicians experience with long-term stud welding work.

 

Impact of Prolonged Stud Welding

Stud welding technicians are exposed to two types of potential physical harm:

  1. Physical stress from the bending motions of welding many studs repeatedly
  2. Various health risks from the fumes created in the welding process

Of these two, the fumes created with each stud weld operation is an issue addressed less often than it should be. The heat and pressure of both drawn arc and CD stud welding operations creates a plume of respirable metalloid particles small enough to be forced into a radius of approximately 12-20 inches. These plumes can contain zinc, nickel, iron, copper, manganese, chromium, cobalt, lead, and more, depending on the welding materials.

Many welding technicians wear little-to-no breathing protection, and because of this may be at greater risk for lung cancer, metal fume fever, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Some studies have also shown that welders exposed to welding fumes over extended periods of time may be at greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Despite this danger, there are many ways to minimize the potential of physical damage from the fumes and the welding process itself.

 

How Automation Can Protect Your Welders

Automated stud welding offers many solutions for preventing or limiting health risks and physical long-term effects many welders experience. NFS offers automation capabilities that can change the way your welding technicians perform their tasks. Stud welding units that are automated can greatly reduce the need for technicians to perform repeated physical movements to establish a weld connection. Automation also often removes the welding technician’s breathing zone from the dangers of the welding plume. Limiting the exposure to fumes and the time spent performing repetitive motions can significantly reduce physical harm to your stud welding technicians. NFS provides a wide range of automated stud welding equipment, including units that can withstand harsh environments.

 

Protecting your workers and streamlining your stud welding production starts with automation. Get started with Northland Fastening Systems today and contact us at (651) 730-7770 to learn more about minimizing the health risks of stud welding and the benefits of automation.