Month: January 2022

Technical Details: Drawn Arc Welding

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Stud welding operations today are highly standardized manufacturing processes. They are widespread across multiple industries as fastening systems, in composite construction, for large-scale construction, food-grade fabrication, and more. If you’re manufacturing in the automotive, building construction, sheet metal fabrication, electronics, food service equipment, fabrication equipment, structural steel, or many other industries, you’ll likely use stud welding systems at some point in the production process. For any drawn arc, capacitor discharge (CD), or short cycle stud welding operations, Northland Fastening Systems has the tools for rent or purchase, studs in a complete range of dimensions, welding accessories, and other supplies welders need to get the job done. For drawn arc welding, NFS provides supplies meeting all technical requirements and weld specifications necessary for a variety of applications.

Drawn Arc Welding

Drawn arc processes are a type of resistance welding, and for stud welding operations, they often utilize ceramic ferrules, fluxes, and shielding gas. From stud specifications to tensile load strengths, some standard drawn arc welding technical details include:

Studs:

Drawn arc studs can be threaded or unthreaded, including various kinds of internal and external threads. Stud lengths are indicated as L in terms of BW (before weld) and AW (after weld). AW lengths will be shorter to various degrees depending on stud dimensions. Dimensions range depending on the type of stud, including threaded connectors, bar anchors, shear connectors, and headed anchors.

Ferrules:

Ceramic ferrules are used to contain molten stud and surface materials at the point of the weld vary in dimensions. The ferrules you pair with your studs should match sizing and meet ISO ferrule standards. A ferrule should be able to be cracked off and removed from the weld point when it has cooled.

Materials:

Drawn arc stud welding materials are generally grades of low carbon steel and stainless-steel meeting AWS and ASTM Some studs are plated in zinc, nickel, or copper. Drawn arc studs can also be annealed to Rockwell B Hardness of 75-85.

Shielding gas and flux:

Semi-inert gases like argon, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen in various compositions protect the weld point from exposure to oxygen and water vapor that can contaminate the weld. Fluxes can also be used to generate carbon dioxide shielding gas and regulate melt temperatures.

Tensile and torque strengths:

Standard arc weld stud tensile load and torque strength ranges are based on stud diameter, threads per inch, mean effective thread area (META), tensile load pounds, tensile stress in pounds per square inch, and torque in inch pounds. In practical applications, studs shouldn’t be installed at their maximum yield load. Instead, a safety range of no more than 60% of a yield strength should be utilized.

Accessories:

In addition to flux, ferrules, and shielding gas, drawn arc accessories include adjustable chucks, cable connectors, headed chucks, ferrule foot plates, and cable lugs.

To learn more about the technical specifications of drawn arc welding for stud installation, contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770, or request a quote online to get started with us.

Ideal Stud Welding Machine for Low Power Access

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Stud welding operations are used today in many applications, on and off job sites. Because of the range in locales that stud welding is performed, there are a variety of different machines that meet portability, electrical specificity, weld capacity, and material needs. While facilities can house fully automated stud welding systems that churn out hundreds of precise welds per minute, welding technicians in the field rely on their expertise and their specialized tools to get the job done. If you’re working with stud welding in any capacity, Northland Fastening Systems (NFS) offers a complete range of welding tools for rent or purchase, studs for drawn arc, capacitor discharge (CD), and short cycle welding, and welding accessories. While we offer equipment that can be integrated into an automated production line, we also have machines for off-site welding jobs when portability and easy setup is most important. Our HBS VISAR 650, for example, is an excellent stud welding machine for times when technicians only have access to low power electrical sources.

Stud Welding Machine

The VISAR 650 is a small, efficient machine for drawn arc welding with ceramic ferrules. It can handle mild and stainless steel studs. It has a welding current maximum of 650 A and a minimum of 100 A. Because it can perform these welding with only 100-240 V, single-phase power sources, it’s an ideal stud welding machine for working on multiple job sites that have the electrical setups of typical residential and commercial properties. The primary plug of the VISAR 650 is also a standard electrical two-prong grounded safety plug that fits universally into outlets.

VISAR 650

For stud welding on projects in the field, the VISAR 650 has two main benefits for technicians working on different job sites:

  1. The VISAR 650 is simple. It’s a tool that’s easy to learn, quick to set up, and simple to carry from site to site. Its intuitive operation makes it the perfect tool for welders that are trained in many different construction technologies or for welders who only use stud welding processes for specific building requirements. It also has a quick storage system for tidying the tool cable built into the machine handle.
  2. The VISAR 650 is also robust. It has a fully enclosed housing with no air vents, giving it a rating of IP44. An IP44 rating keeps the machine from exposure to solid particulates bigger than 1mm in diameter, and water or other liquids splashing from all directions. This means it has rigorous protection from work site dust, in addition to dirt and inclement weather. The enclosed housing, or casing, is also an effective protection from accidental bumps that frequently occur as tools, building materials, and workers move through an active site. The VISAR 650 has a solid base and side panels that raise the bulk of the machine from the resting surface.

To learn more about our stud welding machine supplies, contact NFS at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online to get started with us today.

The History and Role of the American Welding Society for Fastening Systems

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While the origin of forge welding can be traced all the way back to the Bronze Age, the history of welding with electrical current only dates back to the early twentieth century. The first resistance welding technology was used extensively in manufacturing military equipment and vehicles for World War I. To establish the importance of the resistance welding industry even after the war ended, former President Wilson appointed Comfort A. Adams, an electrical engineering professor at Harvard College, as chair of the new Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corp. Since then, the committee combined with the National Welding Council to become today’s American Welding Society (AWS). As a provider of stud welding supplies, including tools for rent or purchase, studs in a complete range of dimensions, and welding accessories, Northland Fastening Systems (NFS) follows the standards that the AWS sets for the industry.

High-Quality Stud Welding Equipment

NFS is a comprehensive supplier of high-quality stud welding equipment, and our selection of tools, studs, and accessories, along with our services, meet international standards for operations. In addition to our own standards for quality, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and all our other customers follow AWS regulations, and many hold specific AWS certifications.

Since its establishment in 1919, the AWS has been pivotal in advancing and expanding national fastening systems and welding industries in many ways.

A Brief History

After the Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corp and the National Welding Council combined to create the AWS in 1919, the society brought together industry leaders. In its first year of operations, the AWS increased to 217 members and introduced the Journal of the American Welding Society. Although this journal only published one issue, it preceded today’s Welding Journal. The AWS also moved into its new headquarters at the Engineering Societies Building in New York City.

In 1922, the AWS held its first annual meeting, and by then, had established sections in eight major cities. For the next 49 years, the AWS headquartered in New York City, but in 1971, moved to Miami, FL, and then in 2012, moved again to its current location in Doral, FL.

Role of the AWS

In addition to the monthly publication of the Welding Journal, the AWS also offers multiple certification programs, including endorsement certificates, testing facilities accreditation, and fabricator certifications. Certifications include specific programs for welding inspectors, educators, radiographic interpreters, engineers, welders, sales representatives, robotic arc welding, and supervisors.

The AWS also has a membership program and publishes specifications and codes for the industry. Membership is available for individuals, welders, corporations, and students. Currently, the AWS has 250 international sections and student chapters.

As a member of the welding industry, NFS values the history and current global role of the AWS. To learn more about our stud welding equipment, products, and services, contact us by calling (507) 387-7200 or online.