Month: May 2023

Advantages of Stud Welding over Other Fastening Systems

Posted on by norfas by norfas

Throughout manufacturing history, many methods of fastening one component to another have been implemented, ranging from the most rudimentary nails to the most advanced industrial adhesives. The best fastening systems in any given situation depend on several factors, such as materials, dimensions, function, and finish. When it comes to fastening steel, aluminum, copper, bronze, and many other metal components, stud welding is often the superior choice. When properly applied, welded studs have a connection point that is quickly applied, mark-free, and powerful. In addition to stud welding’s use for metal fasteners, it’s also a key part of composite construction for steel and concrete builds. Northland Fastening Systems (NFS) is a supplier of all the necessary tools, studs, and accessories for drawn arc, CD, and short cycle stud welding operations. We offer customers a complete selection of welding materials and equipment, including our own technicians’ expert advice and guidance.

Fastening Systems

While stud welding is just one of many fastening systems for multiple applications, there are several ways it outperforms other techniques and provides greater advantages in comparison. Some of the most common fastening techniques that stud welding outperforms include:

  • Bolting: Conventional bolting is a frequently used fastener because it’s highly accessible and generally cost effective. In comparison, stud welding installation costs are actually lower and faster. Two-sided access is not required to install studs, and they can be installed without a visible head. Stud welding is also resistant to leaks and vibration, and does not require through-hole preparations.
  • Boring, drilling, and tapping: Stud welding is a faster process than any boring, drilling, and tapping operations. It has a lower install cost, does not require through-hole preparation, and has better resistance to resonance and leakage. Most important, stud welding doesn’t leave marks on the reverse side of the installation surface.

More Uses

  • Soldering: Unlike soldering, stud welding can be applied to painted surfaces and it generally calls for less training time. Stud welding is faster than soldering and has lower installation expenses.
  • Clinch fastening: Clinch fastening requires high-pressure application and two-sided access to the connection surface. Stud welding needs neither of these for a successful connection, and it doesn’t leave marks or a visible head. Stud welding requires no preparation for a through-hole, and it resists leaks and vibration. Also, clinch fastening equipment is not portable, whereas many stud welding units can be easily moved throughout a job site.

In almost every instance in which one of these common fasteners can be used, stud welding can replace it for faster, stronger, cheaper, and better-looking results. If you’re working with any of these fastening systems, consider replacing those operations with stud welding. For more information, contact NFS at (651) 730-7770. You can also request a quote online to get started with us today.

Specialized Groups of Construction Equipment Built with Steel Weld Studs

Posted on by norfas by norfas

There are many tools and types of equipment we use daily that are built with stud welding processes. From the cars we drive to the appliances we use in our kitchens, stud welding operations are frequently called on for efficient, strong fasteners throughout various industries. The prevalence of stud welding being used for various fastening systems is due to its many benefits. Stud welding creates a powerful connection point with clean results. It can also be used in fastening multiple materials, including steel, aluminum, copper, and brass, and it’s reliable for composite construction to combine materials like concrete and wood to steel beams. If you’re working with steel weld studs on your production floor or job site, you can find everything you need to get your project completed at Northland Fastening Systems (NFS).

Steel Weld Studs

One major use of steel weld studs is in the manufacturing of construction equipment. Common construction equipment, such as excavators, cranes, dump trucks, and backhoes, are all built with steel studs, but many specialized types of equipment also rely on the use of stud welding in their fabrication.

  1. Dragline excavator: Used typically for excavation at greater depths, a dragline excavator has a long boom with digging buckets suspended from cables. These excavators are critical for the removal of sediment underwater. They are used in the construction of ports, marinas, canals, and for clearing pathways for water traffic.
  2. Trenchers: For pipe laying, cables, irrigation, drainage, and other systems, trenchers are used to dig long, deep ditches in the earth. They have a fixed arm with a digging chain or tooth-bladed digging wheels. Wheeled trenchers are best suited to cut through hard-packed earth and gravel.
  3. Pavers: In road construction, pavers are essential when applying asphalt. Pavers have feeding buckets that are loaded continuously with a dump truck as the paver evenly distributes asphalt on the roadway. They provide partial compression to the asphalt, but a roller must go over the surface as well for full compaction.

 More Uses

  1. Telehandlers: Telescoping handlers are hoisting machines that can lift heavy-duty materials or equipment up to construction scaffolding and platforms. They can also raise and lower workers to different job-site levels with buckets or cabins.
  2. Feller bunchers: In logging and site clearing, feller bunchers are large-scale grips that can hold trees, make a cut, and move large branches without the trees felling. Felling trees makes for a dangerous worksite, but a feller buncher helps quickly and efficiently remove trees and free up a site for dump trucks and excavators to enter.
  3. Piling equipment: Foundation construction requires the boring or driving of piles into the earth. Pile borers can drill holes into the ground, and hydraulic drivers ram the pile into the ground to the required depth.

For any of the preceding construction equipment, you can count on us to supply you with the correct steel weld studs and other materials. Contact NFS at (651) 730-7770 or you can request a quote online for more information.

 

 

Full Scope of Applications for the Stud Welding Process

Posted on by norfas by norfas

Compared to many other manufacturing operations, stud welding is a relatively young technology. The first uses of stud welding didn’t occur until after World War I in the early 1900s. Early stud welding was used in composite construction to fasten wood to steel beams in the shipbuilding industry. Today, stud welding is still used in shipbuilding, but it’s also heavily utilized across multiple industries for a vast range of applications. As a fastening system, stud welding creates powerful connections quickly without needing access to two sides of a work surface and without leaving marks on the reverse side of the weld. If you’re working with any kind of stud welding process you can find all the supplies you need with Northland Fastening Systems (NFS).

Stud Welding Supplies

NFS provides a complete supply of studs, welding tools, accessories, repair work, and the advice of our own expert technicians. The reach of the stud welding process across industries is broad, and we work with many customers to help them complete all kinds of projects.

Stud Welding Process

The full scope of stud welding as a manufacturing operation includes the following industries:

  • Automotive: For cars and other vehicles, stud welding is used to install heat shields, power steering components, electrical routing, insulation, exhaust components, instrumentation, trim, hydraulic system components, and more.
  • Infrastructure: Because the stud welding process can install shear connectors that combine steel to concrete, it can be used for large-scale infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, piping, conduits, drainage systems, and more.
  • Construction: Stud welding is often used to build multistory buildings, such as apartments, offices, municipal buildings, and even skyscrapers.
  • Agricultural equipment: Farming equipment relies on stud welding for the installation of many parts, including brackets, cabs, spreaders, threshers, fenders, hoses, shrouding, and more.
  • Appliances: Both large and small appliances are often built using the stud welding process. Commercial and residential dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, stoves, microwaves, ovens, and many other common appliances are built with studs.
  • Shipbuilding: Ships of all sizes are built with stud welding to this day.
  • Electronics: From hydraulic lines and transformers to terminals and enclosures, many electronics are built with studs.

More Industries

  • Industrial: Signs, cover plates, enclosures, controls, and floor indicators are some examples of industrial equipment made with stud welding.
  • Furniture: Many metal furniture items are made with studs, such as filing cabinets, shelving, racks, and desks.
  • Lawn and garden: Lawn mowers, seeders, tractors, and some other gardening and landscaping equipment are built with stud welding.
  • Power and energy: Transformers, tanks, transducers, and other energy equipment use studs as fasteners.
  • Cookware: Pots and pans, utensils, and other kitchen supplies are built with food-grade stud welding.
  • Jewelry: Pins and thin studs can be used for decorative purposes like jewelry.
  • Hardware: Tool handles, interior design hardware, brackets, and other systems can be installed with stud welding.
  • Doors: insulation doors, escutcheon plates for door knobs, and some commercial doors are installed with studs.

This is just a sampling of the many applications of stud welding. For more information about the uses of the stud welding process, contact NFS at (651) 730-7770 or you can request a quote online.