As a commercial contractor, you want your projects to stay sound, stable, and secure despite the heavy loads they bear.
Consequently, you have to rely on a variety of techniques to mount, attach, and support each piece of equipment or hardware.
Although you could turn to any number of welding methods to finish your next project, consider adding stud welding to your arsenal of essential tools and methods.
What Is Stud Welding?
Stud welding, or drawn arc stud welding, joins a stud with another piece of metal. You use an arc to heat both pieces, and when you push them together, they create a permanent, high-strength bond.
Unlike other welding types, stud welding does not need packing metal.
What Benefits Does Stud Welding Offer?
When performed correctly, stud welding offers numerous benefits for commercial and industrial applications, including the following:
1. Greater Strength
Stud welds lend strength to the parent material as well as the stud. Whereas bolts with a peripheral weld or “clinch” fastener press into place, stud welds allow for complete cross-sectional welds. This characteristic enables the weld to outlast the rest of the product and function well in leak-proof projects.
2. Cost Efficiency
You likely already know that welding metal doesn’t come cheap-especially when your project consists of expensive metals and materials. But when you opt for stud welding, you don’t have to use as many fasteners to achieve great support and strength. And because of this weld’s enhanced durability, you won’t have to worry about maintenance costs over the years.
Better still, stud welding only requires one skilled worker to install rather than several people working together. On average, stud welding times range between 0.006 and 1.25 seconds depending on the fastener’s size. Since labor costs often represent a large percentage of your project’s budget, any cut in assembly time will save you a significant amount of money.
3. Increased Safety
Many welding techniques involve spatter, or droplets of molten material generated near the welding arc. Though generally considered a nuisance, spatter can present numerous safety hazards when it sticks to clothing or skin. Additionally, spatter results in loss of material from the weld and requires excessive effort to clean and remove.
Stud welding, however, keeps spatter to a minimum if you use a ceramic shield near the arc and weld zone. When to Use Stud Welding
Stud welding works well in a variety of applications, from cosmetic elevator buttons to tamper-proof ATM machines.
Some of the most common industrial projects that require stud welding include:
Ships
Liners, cargo carriers, warships, and submarines all rely on stud welding to hold equipment in place. After all, stud welding does not require holes drilled into the vessel, and it creates a waterproof seal between joints.
Bridges
Large highway bridges often feature a metal expansion joint. This metal plate allows the bridge to expand and contract with temperature changes, rather than buckling in inclement weather. On the back of this metal plate, you’ll find large weld studs set with concrete to hold the joint in place.
Food Service Equipment
Stainless steel ovens, worktops, and microwaves often rely on weld studs to hold them together. The weld studs grips the stainless steel finish without the need for screws or bolt heads. And without the additional fasteners, the appliances will have fewer rough surfaces to collect food particles and debris.
Have a Project in Mind?
As you can see, stud welding has a lot to offer. If you have a commercial or industrial project in mind that requires stud welding, or if you have more questions about the process, talk to a stud welder professional.