Category: CD Stud Welding

From production uses like insulation fasteners to heavy-duty composite construction, stud welding is relied on for many purposes. If you’re working with stud welding in any capacity, Northland Fastening Systems (NFS) has the tools for you. We provide stud welding supplies, including tools for rent or purchase, studs in all dimensions with custom options available, and complete welding accessories. In addition to a comprehensive supply of welding equipment, NFS technicians offer expert advice on all stud welding processes, including the use and setup of CD weld studs for effective and quality results.

CD (capacitor discharge) stud welding is a manufacturing technique that’s useful for some of the smaller dimension pins and studs, like the stainless steel studs used in food grade, lightweight welding, for example. Other common applications of CD weld studs are for insulation fasteners, electrical enclosures, internal electronics, and on-board aerospace systems.

Utilizing CD stud welding operations in the appropriate application is highly beneficial for many reasons. Not only does CD welding create a powerful connection point with no mark-through on the opposite side of the weld surface, it’s a rapid process that conserves energy, improves efficiency, and produces a clean finish when done correctly.

Understanding how to set up CD weld studs for the full welding process is critical for performing an effective operation. A CD stud welding process occurs in five basic steps:

1. Contact of stud tip to weld surface
2. Ignition of weld tool
3. “Placement” or pressuring of stud into surface material
4. Fusion of stud into surface material while both metal are molten from ignition
5. Cooling of both materials to complete the weld connection

Setup can vary depending on the type of tool you’re using, implementation of different collets, stud dimensions, weld surface material, and electrical specifications. In general, the setup process takes the following steps, and in most cases, will get you ready to weld:

1. Set up the assembly of “B” collet and “B” stop accessories by loosening the screws at the tip of the gun shaft to allow the installation of these parts.
2. Ensure the collet is the correct size for stud diameter; then install a correctly paired length of stop into the collet.
3. The collet and stop should seat correctly into the gun (until it stops completely on insert).
4. Insert the stud into the collet until it stops fully. The stud should extend past the end of the collet and be held tightly in the gun during welding.
5. Do not let the stud tip ever come into contact with the collet when the weld is ignited.
6. Place the leg and foot assembly into the gun to allow ⅛” of the stud protruding past the foot.
7. Tighten set screws and ensure the area around the weld point and your welding space is clear.

To learn more about this basic process of preparing CD weld studs and other stud welding operations, contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online.

Northland Fastening Systems is a global provider of high-quality stud welding supplies including stud welding tools for rent or purchase, a comprehensive range of welding studs, welding accessories, and the expertise of our own stud welding technicians.

In addition to a broad range of threaded and non-threaded studs for drawn arc and CD stud welding, insulation fasteners, CD pins, bar anchors, shear connectors, and anchor studs available in multiple materials and dimensions, we also have options for custom stud specifications. Our selection of tools available for rent or purchase also has a broad range of options. For those on a permanent production floor, we have multiple fully-automated fastening systems, but we also have lightweight, portable tools for welders in the field, as well as everything in between. This welding tool highlight covers a popular unit for rapid CD stud welding with relatively smaller studs that form powerful connections with a welding surface.

Thanks to its compact carrying case and weighing a total of only 18 lbs., the MFI Sureshot is ideal for welders working on a jobsite where multiple locations require welding operations. Easily portable, the MFI Sureshot allows welders to perform quick CD stud welding operations that are clean with little spatter and no marks on the opposite side of the weld surface.

MFI Sureshot Specifications

1. Electrical: The MFI Sureshot operates with 110/220 VAC, 15/7.5 Amp, and 50/60Hz incoming and 35-160 VDC, 3,000-9,000 A, and direct current outgoing, with 100,000 uF capacitance.
2. Welding range: This CD stud welding unit has a pin and stud range of 14 gauge through a 5/16” diameter at the weld base. The welding operation is effective with mild and stainless steels as well as aluminum. It operates quickly for a small unit with 24 welds per minute in the highest voltage. Each charge between welds is less than 3 seconds.
3. Operation details: The MFI Sureshot unit features three indicator lights and a resettable breaker with additional safety shutdowns. The system is continually cooled with a thermal fan, and the 7-segment digital display offers welders direct control with ease.
4. Welding gun: The welding gun weighs only 1.6 lbs. for long-term use without exhaustion. The gun is made from high strength, impact resistance polycarbonate. Gun dimensions are 4 ⅞” L x 2” W x 5 ¾” H.
5. Cables: The MFI Sureshot comes with a standard set of #4 grounding cables and gun cables. The grounding cable reaches up to 15 ft and the weld cables reach up to 20 ft from the gun, allowing welders a broad range of motion around obstacles in the field.

The MFI Sureshot is one of many welding tools we have in our collection. To find out more about this CD stud welding tool and many others, contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770. Request a quote online to get started with us today.

At Northland Fastening Systems (NFS), we offer a broad range of stud-welding tools for rent or purchase, welding studs in comprehensive dimensions, custom stud options, stud-welding accessories, and the expertise of our own stud-welding technicians. For drawn arc, short cycle, and capacitor discharge (CD) stud-welding operations, it’s critical to get the stud welder and welding equipment that will not only fit the operation, but also fit your work schedule, portability, and on-site power needs. When it comes to choosing the right stud welder that will meet your production needs and be calibrated to worksite electrical sources, NFS experts are here to help. We can work with you to determine exactly what your production needs are and which stud-welding tool would be the best option for you to rent or purchase.

For hand-held, non-automated stud welding, there are a wide variety of tools that could be useful in your arsenal. If you’re working with CD stud welding operations, one highly effective, reliable tool is the TRUWELD ACE-P100 stud welder model. The ACE-P100 is a hand-held CD stud welder that incorporates state-of-the-art technologies into a compact unit that is both rugged and portable. With a new user interface and system design, the ACE-P100 can weld CD pins in sizes up to 10 gauge and CD studs with dimensions up to #10 with more efficiency and speed than ever before.

Specifications: The ACE-P100 is 12.5″ x 10.1″ x 6.0″, making it a lightweight yet powerful piece of portable equipment. It can weld up to 15-30 pins per minute, and it uses a universal power input of 85-250 VAC at 50/60 hertz. The recharge time between pin welds is less than one second, and it has built in thermal/voltage protections. The gun tip is engaged with contact and a hand trigger.

Features: The most recent updates to the ACE-P100 features include its intuitive touchscreen, set-point discharge, universal input voltage, contact and trigger indicators, thermal and voltage protection, and low-input voltage capabilities that allow continued operations with long extension cords. These features all make the ACE-P100 more portable, easier to operate, and more readily adaptable to a range of worksite power capabilities. Along with its new features, the ACE-P100 design still includes an increased airflow for better weld cycles, tough interior construction that holds up to rough handling and transport, a rugged grade exterior casing that protects the interior from on-site contaminants, an ergonomic hand tool that reduces operator fatigue, added internal spring for adjusting the spring pressure in the hand tool, and the ability to swap the hand tool from standard tapered chuck configuration to B, CI, or Euro collet configurations.

The ACE-P100 is one of many high-quality stud-welder tools available for rent or purchase at NFS. Contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online to learn more about the stud welding products we supply.

If you’re just getting into the stud welding world, there may be some terms thrown around that you’re unfamiliar with. When you break down each type of stud welding and the supplies and tools used, there are some nuances that will arise. Whether you’re just starting out or if you’ve been in the stud welding game for years, you can find all your stud welding supplies and technical support with Northland Fastening Systems.

The basic terminology of stud welding can be broken into two categories of drawn arc stud welding and capacitor discharge (CD) stud welding. Within these two types of stud welding, there are variations to operations and specialized tools that can be used to get many effects.

Drawn Arc Stud Welding

1. Drawn arc: These welding tools use both flux and a ceramic ferrule. The flux creates a clean weld zone as the tip of the gun makes contact with the surface material, and the ceramic ferrule contains the molten weld point to prevent splatter. Drawn arc welds using flux and a ferrule create the strongest stud bond.
2. Gas arc: Gas arc welding replaces a ceramic ferrule with inert gas, and it typically does not use a flux to prepare the surface (though some gas arc weld processes still use a flux ball). Gas arcs are used commonly in automated welding operations where precision and speed limit the need for flux. This provides a quick, cost effective weld that saves labor because it does not require chipping off a ferrule when the weld is completed.
3. Short arc: For operations using high currents and requiring fast weld times, short arc welding can be a reliable process. Short arc welds can tend to be weaker or more porous because they do not use flux or ferrule, but in the right application, they can be key.

CD Stud Welding

1. Contact CD welding: This process places the tip of the stud against the weld surface while the weld occurs. The current vaporizes the tip of the stud and an arc is created between the stud and surface. This arc heats both stud and surface metals, and the molten components are connected.
2. Gap CD welding: Gap welding is a faster process than contact welding. The tip of the stud is poised above the surface as the arc is formed and then pressed against the surface as both become molten.

If you are just starting out in the stud welding industry, you can use these terms as a base reference for areas you want to study or try as you learn and become a more professional welder. To learn more about the comprehensive stud welding supplies we provide, contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770. Request a quote online to get started with us today.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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%.
5. 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.

Stud welding is a manufacturing operation that is highly saturated in use across industries. Not only does stud welding provide fast, strong fastening systems, but it also creates clean, consistent connection points for a variety of stud and surface materials. You can find everything you need regarding tools, studs, pins, and other welding accessories at Northland Fastening Systems (NFS). In addition to a comprehensive selection of products, NFS also offers expert guidance via the knowledge of our skilled stud-welding technicians. From drawn arc to capacitor stud (CD) stud welding, NFS has the supplies and service that production teams of any size need to get their projects completed quickly and effectively.

Drawn arc stud welding is an excellent option for large-scale welding of heavy-duty studs on a variety of steels and other metals, but CD stud welding may be an even better option for welders working quickly with smaller dimension studs on surfaces that need to look clean.

CD stud welding uses a quick-draw welding tool that is either a handheld gun or an automated production tip. There are two types that can be used, depending on the materials being welded together and the production speed needed.

• Contact CD Stud Welding: This is a slightly more common type of CD stud welding that physically presses the stud against the surface material while an electrical current heats the two metals. A stud is inserted on the tip of the welding tool and positioned against the flat base surface. This allows the electrical current to flow through the welding tool to the surface material, heating and rendering molten metal beneath the stud. The current also vaporizes the tip of the stud, allowing it to stick to the molten surface and cool to form a strong fastened connection. This process typically occurs in just 0.012 seconds. Contact welding is ideal for steels and other metals that have a slightly higher melting point than others.
• Gap CD Stud Welding: Gap CD Stud Welding involves a different gun and the use of a magnetic coil, or solenoid, that activates and lifts the stud away from the workpiece. It still draws an arc and plunges back into the weld pool under significantly less spring pressure than contact stud welding. This is beneficial for aluminum and stainless steel where it’s critical to not leave a mark on the backside of the workpiece. We often see this with sign manufacturers who want a clean appearance.

Whether you are using contact or gap CD stud welding as a primary fastening system at your worksite, NFS has what you need to get the job done. Contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770 to learn more about stud welding supplies. Request a quote online to get started with us today.

There are several types of stud welding used in a wide range of manufacturing procedures. The use of CD stud welding as a fast, clean, and strong fastening system is a highly effective technique for rapid fastening of a broad variety of structures from lightweight assemblies to composite material construction.

If you’re using CD stud welding as a primary fastening system for any size project, you can find studs in a wide variety of dimensions, including custom sizes, stud welding tools for rent or purchase, all the accessories you might need, and our own stud welding technicians’ expertise at Northland Fastening Systems today.

Utilizing CD stud welding as a primary fastening system for your construction procedures can be one of the most efficient methods at hand if used correctly. While CD stud welding is a quick, easy way to form strong connections, it also requires specific calibrations depending on the tool, stud dimensions, and materials used. CD welding processes change effectiveness whenever specifications are altered. These specifications include:

• Time of weld: The speed of a CD weld can affect the strength of the weld. If a weld is performed too quickly, it can create a weak connection. If a weld is too long, however, it can produce a weakened connection point with too deep of a penetration and unattractive spattering of molten stud and surface material.
• Pressure of weld: CD stud welding requires a very specific pressure through the welding gun to provide a perfect connection with a strength greater than stud and surface material alike. Too great a pressure calibration creates a spattering and too deep penetration. Too little pressure provides a weak connection that is not fully formed.
• Current/power of tool: Just like the time and pressure, a specific electrical current is required to perform a strong weld connection. The current required depends on the materials being welded together and the dimensions of the stud. This is true of the time and pressure needed as well, but the current needed will vary more greatly in direct reliance on the metals used.
• Materials used: Because time, pressure, and current change based on the materials used, those metals are a critical specification to take into account if you want to create a strong weld connection with a CD tool. Effective CD welding can be used to weld low carbon steel, mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, or alloys specifically formulated for CD stud welding.

CD stud welding can be the key to open many manufacturing doors if you have the information you need to determine what studs to use and what to calibrate your tools to. Find our CD welding stud and CD weld pin selection online or contact us to request customized stud dimensions.

To learn more about the stud welding processes, contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770, or request a quote online to get started.