Stud welding is a relatively new manufacturing operation in comparison with other welding formats that have been used as far back as the Bronze Age. Since its beginnings in the Industrial Revolution and its rise in popularity for shipbuilding in WWII, stud welding has rapidly advanced technologically. Today, stud welding is used for a broad range of manufacturing applications, from large-scale structural construction to complex, food-grade equipment. Because of its widespread use, there are many applications where stud welding operations can be automated for results that are higher quality, more precise, and faster. With the help of Northland Fastening Systems expert technicians, you can integrate automation into your operations with our selection of state-of-the-art automated welding equipment and comprehensive welding studs.
Automation in the stud welding industry is one of the most recent developments that facilities can apply on their operations floor or in the field. Various formats of automated stud welding were developed to improve production in many ways with the benefits it provides.
Benefits
Automated stud welding provides many benefits to fabricators. Broadly speaking, this includes:
- Efficiency
- Speed
- Accuracy
- Cost Reduction
If your volume of production has recently increased, integrating automation into your facilities is an investment that will pay itself off quickly as it saves your welders the time, energy, and cost of keeping up with your production demands. Manufacturers using stud welding for a range of applications can almost always benefit from the implementation of automated welding equipment.
How It Works
Automation can be used in a factory setting or as a portable device with both automatic hand-held welding guns and CNC welding heads. The stud is inserted into the gun manually or with an automatic feeder, and the welding surface is processed on an automatic production line. For large-scale rapid welding, robotic welding systems are the most effective with computer-controlled precision and a fully automated production line.
Systems like our MPW 10102010 are highly effective when it comes to speeding up the production process and increasing volume. This system can perform up to 40 welds per minute using short cycle drawn arc welding with up to three welding heads operating simultaneously. It can also perform simple milling tasks for finishing assemblies or machining components.
For a more portable automated application, our handheld PAH-1 welding gun is a highly effective stud welding tool. Using CD, short cycle drawn arc, contact, or gap welding, this gun is a lightweight automation option for welding a variety of materials. This gun is especially effective in welding sheeting as thin as 0.5 mm.
Explore our comprehensive collection of automation products and other stud welding equipment options, or shop from our wide range of welding studs online. To learn more about automation in the welding industry or to get started with NFS for all your welding equipment and studs today, contact us at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online.