April 2020 | Northland Fastening Systems

4 Famous Landmarks that Used Structural Steel Welding in Their Construction

Posted on April 28, 2020May 28, 2020 by norfas by norfas

As far back as WWI, stud welding has been a much-relied-upon staple of manufacturing and construction industries. Especially today, stud welding makes large-scale construction and innovative building designs possible. Without the capabilities of stud welding, we wouldn’t have the unique sculptural steel landmarks we have across the globe.

If you’re working with stud welding, you know just how useful of a tool it is for a wide variety of construction applications. When you work with Northland Fastening Systems, you get access to everything you need to get the job done for structural steel welding and much more.

Some of the most well-known steel landmarks in the world were built relying heavily on stud welding and composite steel construction. For example:

Golden Gate Bridge: Finished in 1937, the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed and well-known suspension bridges in the world. Its iconic red paint stands boldly against the blue waters of the cold San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean. The bridge spans just over a mile, connecting the city of San Francisco to the San Francisco Peninsula. Stud welding was key in the construction of this modern wonder of the world, as it was used in the composite construction of the pavement and steel beams in addition to riveting and fastening the whole of the bridge components.

World Trade Center: Construction of the new One World Trade Center began in 2006 on the site of the complex where the original seven world trade buildings were destroyed in the 9/11 attack. This stunning replacement is still under minor construction, but currently stands 1,792 feet to its tip with 94 above-ground floors. This Freedom Tower is made possible with composite steel construction using stud welding as a primary reinforcing agent.

Space Needle: This Seattle landmark was opened in 1962 for the World Fair. The observation deck of the tower has six floors that reach up to 518 feet, with a total tower height of 604 feet. Views from the needle show majestic scenes of Mt. Rainier, Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Baker, Elliot Bay, and Puget Sound. Thanks to the strength and flexibility created using stud welding in its construction, the Space Needle withstands wind speeds up to 200 mph and earthquakes up to 9.0 magnitude.

Sydney Opera House: Construction on the unparalleled design of the Sydney Opera House began in 1959 but wasn’t completed until 1973. The arcing shell structure of the opera house is a Gothic-esque design and a reminder of its location against the waters of the Sydney Harbour. This unique design relies heavily on exact engineering and the support of thousands of pins welded throughout the shells. Using stud welding extensively in the construction of these shells allowed the architecture team that built the opera house to form a strong, stable structure.

If you’re using stud welding and structural steel welding to build your own landmarks, NFS can provide the tools and supplies you need. Contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online to learn more.

5 Factors to Consider in the CD Stud Welding Process

Posted on April 17, 2020April 8, 2020 by norfas by norfas

Stud welding is a multi-faceted manufacturing operation that can be used in many different settings for a wide range of results. If you plan to work with stud welding as a fastening system, you’ll have many factors to consider before choosing the exact tools you need. The primary factor you need to take into account is whether you’ll be using CD stud welding or drawn arc stud welding.

No matter which one you choose, you can rely on Northland Fastening Systems to provide the tools and technical support you need to accomplish any stud welding process.

Both drawn arc and CD stud welding processes have their own various factors to consider and navigate through to achieve an end result of a successful, strong weld connection. When it comes to the CD stud welding process, there are five main factors to take into account for any project:

Size: Before starting your stud welding process, you need to have the right size studs for the job. If your job requires stud dimensions larger than ⅜”, you may need to consider working with drawn arc welding tools because CD studs typically don’t exceed that dimension.
Surface: The surface you weld to must also be considered. CD stud welding performs excellently with plate or sheet surfaces, but it can become difficult to create a strong connection with a rough surface because the weld time is much shorter than with other stud welding processes. As with all welding, your surface must also be clear of contaminants like rust, oil, or dirt.
Time: CD stud welding is a very rapid fastening operation. Arcs are generated for as little as 0.01 seconds. Because of this, the timing and penetration of the weld is critical. To create a successful weld, you need to correctly calibrate your tool. This calibration depends on the material you’re welding to, the dimensions of the stud, and the material of the stud.
Position: To create a successful weld and a clean, well-made product, you need to know exactly where you’ll place the weld point. Even a millimeter shift can affect the quality of your welded product. Many welders will mark the point of the weld with a punch mark in the center of the area of the weld, but even this can be inaccurate because, if the punch is too deep, you can shorten the stud length by as much as 50%.
Materials: Welding materials are also key in creating a successful weld. This includes the surface material, any surface plating or coatings, the weld materials, and how the physical properties will react to a weld. Some materials, like high-carbon steel, are too hard to penetrate with a common CD welding stud.

For any stud welding process, these kinds of factors and the properties of the materials and tools you’ll use are important. To learn more about CD and drawn arc welding, contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online.

Understanding the Uses of Different Drawn Arc Welding Studs

Posted on April 8, 2020 by norfas by norfas

Drawn arc welding uses an arcing electrical current to develop enough heat at the weld point to render the two materials being connected molten, allowing them to meld together into one metal result. Unlike adhesive fastening systems, welding creates a bond that combines the two connecting materials at the weld point, making a joint that is stronger than either of the materials by themselves.

With the help of Northland Fastening Systems, you can find all the drawn arc supplies you need for your stud welding projects, including tools for rent or purchase, welding studs, welding accessories, and the expert services of our own technicians.

When it comes to drawn arc welding studs, there are several varieties within the category. Depending on the job you need to accomplish, you may choose one type of stud over another in the dimensions you need. NFS offers all types of drawn arc welding studs in many dimensions and specialty sizing on request.

Drawn Arc Stud Types

Threaded: Drawn arc welding studs can be fully or partially threaded with varying thread counts. These threaded studs are used to connect other components to the surface you weld the stud to, like a nut and bolt system. They allow the fastening of another component without having to weld it onto the stud or drilling into the surface component.
Non-Threaded: Many drawn arc studs are left unthreaded for specific applications. These are used to create handles, pegs, stops, locators, and other protruding components.
Shear Connectors: These heavy-duty welding studs are used in composite construction. They are key in attaching two different materials, such as metal and concrete. Shear connectors and headed bar anchors are critical for bridge building, construction of buildings, and other large-scale fabrication.
Bar Anchors: These larger welding studs are also used in composite construction. They are typically used to support bearing plates in concrete-to-steel connections. Additionally, bar anchors are used in beam construction and can have a steel-plated tip.

Drawn arc welding studs are made from stainless steel and low carbon or mild steel. Our threaded studs are available in many imperial and metric thread pitches and range in lengths from 1/2” to 36”. Our shear connectors are offered in diameters from ¾”, ⅞”, and 1”. They can be provided in lengths from 2” to 18”. Our headed anchor studs are available in ¼”, 3/8”, ½” and ⅝” with lengths from 1” to 18”. Deformed Bar anchors are offered in 3/8”, ½”, ⅝”, ¾”, and 7/8” diameters with lengths from 8” to 60”, depending on the chosen dimensions.

If you’re using drawn arc stud welding as your fastening system, NFS can provide the welding studs you need to get the job done. To learn more about the supplies and services we offer, contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770, or request a quote online to get started.