Category: Food Grade Welding

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.

Using stud-welding operations for fabrication in many industries provides several benefits to manufacturers. Not only is stud welding a quick fastening process that results in a powerful connection point, it also provides clean results without marking the other side of the weld surface or creating rough finishes. Stud welding is useful to many manufacturers working in large-scale construction, heavy-duty composite building, thin pin installation, and even food equipment production. For food equipment, in particular, capacitor discharge (CD) stud welding supports sanitation regulations and hygiene standards for the food production, packaging, and processing industries. If you’re using studs for food-grade welding operations, Northland Fastening Systems (NFS) has the supplies you need. We provide a broad range of tools for rent or purchase, studs in a complete range of dimensions with custom options available, and a full selection of stud welding accessories. Our team of expert welding technicians can also provide advice and information, and our tool repair services eliminate excess production downtime.

 

Via the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established many guidelines and requirements for every player in the food industry, from farms to food equipment manufacturers. Rules for food-grade welding were also outlined in this act. These rules set specific requirements for finished surfaces, connection points, materials, and all other aspects of manufactured food equipment.

 

Some basic requirements the FSMA sets for stud-welded food service equipment include:

 

1. Sharps and burrs should be eliminated to prevent microscopic cavities that can house bacteria. When stud welds are performed correctly, there is no risk of micro burrs or sharps around the connection point. Too hot or too cold welds can, respectively, leave molten splatter and burrs, or create a slight ledge underneath the stud.
2. Materials that are too dissimilar should not be used. While multiple kinds of materials can be welded together in other applications of stud welding, food-grade products should typically be limited to stainless steel or other treated metals that will hold up to corrosion.
3. Internal corners and angles should be radiused. The FDA requires fabricators to manufacture designs that only use internal angles and corners so that exterior angles are softened and easy to fully sanitize. Sharper angles create crevices for bacteria and other cross-contamination to hide and be difficult to reach even when equipment is fully washed down.
4. Surfaces should be manufactured without overstressing. When welding is not performed correctly, material surfaces can be overstressed, leading to corrosion, cracking, reduction of protective surfaces, and many other problems that compromise food safety. Accurately applied welds will protect food safety and prevent cross-contamination in the long term.

 

In addition to these requirements, stud welding also makes it possible for manufacturers to support the rule that frameworks should always be sealed and never bolted.

 

To learn more about food-grade welding and our supply of stud welding equipment, contact NFS at (651) 730-7770. You can also request a quote online to get started with us today.

To support global demand for food products from pantry staples to specialty and exotic goods, the food grade transport and storage industry is a highly evolved system. Advanced storage systems for transportation, short-term holding, and long-term climate-controlled storage are utilized for all kinds of food products and other perishables, such as pharmaceuticals. Containers for the food industry play a huge role in the transportation and storage of goods, and because of this, highly specialized containers have been developed over the years. Shipping and storing containers made from steel, aluminum, and other metals are frequently manufactured using stud welding operations. If you are fabricating intermodal freight units and other containers for the food industry, you can find everything you need for food grade stud welding processes at Northland Fastening Systems (NFS). We provide stud welding tools for rent or purchase, welding studs in a comprehensive range of dimensions, customizable options for studs, and stud welding accessories as well as the expertise of our own welding technicians.

 

There have been many designs for food grade shipping and storage containers over the years, but intermodal freight containers helped to standardize sizing and structure to enable better bulk transit and storing. Intermodal freight containers as large as 40 feet long are a commonly used storage option for many goods, including packaged food products. Using food grade stud welding to build these units helps manufacturers meet food safety standards, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations.

 

In addition to standardized intermodal units, there have been many specialty containers fabricated using food grade stud welding as a key to food safety. Containers for food grade liquids such as oils, dairy products, and others are repeatedly exposed directly to the food goods. Because of this exposure, it’s critical that these containers can be completely sanitized regularly and protected from corrosion. Any compromise of the container will damage food products and pose health issues.

 

Food grade stud welding is a solution for many manufacturers producing food storage and transport containers. Not only does food grade stud welding create a smooth, mark-free surface without craggy areas that can collect bacteria, it is also an operation that can use antibacterial metals like stainless steel. Containers made with stud welding are easily sanitized between uses, and the metals used will hold up to strong chemical disinfectants. Weld points and materials used will also withstand exposure to acidic or alkaline food products without harming the composition, flavor, or integrity of the goods.

 

To learn more about the details food grade stud welding and the tools used in those operations, contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770. You can also request a quote online to get started with us today.

Welding of all kinds plays a large role in commercial-grade food equipment. From the shelving units used to store fresh, frozen, and dry foods to stoves and ovens used daily, welding operations are used in the manufacturing process. Stud welding, in particular, is a commonly used manufacturing technique for many types of equipment used in restaurants, hospitals, hotels, and other commercial kitchens as well as in food production and packaging industries. Even some equipment in home kitchens is made with certain components of stud welding. Northland Fastening Systems provides everything you might need for all applications of food grade welding, from studs of all dimensions to tools for rent and purchase in addition to the expert services of our own technicians.

 

Equipment used in the food industry must meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for sanitation, including the very specific requirements of the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This means, every step of the fabrication process must guarantee that end results meet those standards. When it comes to stud welding, regulations are in place for food grade welding processes.

 

The foundational requirements of food grade welding include:

 

1. Precise Finish: A smooth finish with the elimination of burrs and sharp particles of metal of all kinds must be accomplished. Even microscopic burrs or sharps can compromise a food grade piece of equipment. Rough surfaces should also be smoothed and finished in a way that removes any spaces for food particles to get caught and build bacteria colonies.
2. Sealed and Bolted: The full framework of a piece of equipment should be sealed at connection points. Simply bolted connection points can have opportunities for increased vulnerability to corrosion or storage of bacteria. Components that can be detached for cleaning must also be built in a way that reattaches with a full seal.
3. Correct Design: The equipment should be designed in a way that only uses internal angles or corners. External angles create spaces in which bacteria can thrive, which compromises any food grade equipment.
4. Surface Working: Surfaces should be worked in a way that doesn’t overstress the materials. Overworking can leave any layers protecting against oxidation susceptible to being quickly stripped away.
5. Compatible Weld: The stud and the surface material must be compatible. Any incompatible welds are more vulnerable to corroding and contamination food or cracking under thermal stress.

 

If you are fabricating food grade equipment of any kind, it’s critical to consider these requirements and any other standards outlined in the FSMA before beginning your project. To learn more about food grade welding, and stud welding overall, contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online to get started on your stud welding project.

The food industry is a fast-paced field that’s required to meet the strictest standards for health, sanitation, storage, and production. Whether you work in the restaurant business, food packaging, a grocery store, or otherwise, you face daily challenges that are helped along by reliable, long-lasting equipment.

The last thing anyone working in the food industry needs is for that equipment to fail, leaving them with one more critical problem to solve. That’s why Northland Fastening Systems provides high-quality food grade welding using non-flanged stainless-steel CD studs to fabricate reliable equipment that looks great for long-term use.

CD studs are the best method of industrial stud welding for equipment utilized in the food industry. Not only is CD stud welding a faster and more cost-effective process, it also creates a product with spic-and-span lines and a clean finish. Northland Fastening Systems specializes in a range of stud welding operations, and our CD stud welding capabilities are perfect for food grade equipment.

Because of the nature of CD stud welding, our welding technicians are able to connect components of food grade equipment without needing the flux, oxidation, and time that typical welding requires. This means we can perform food grade welding for components faster and without heat concentration, which in turn allows us to weld smaller and thinner components without leaving unsightly marks behind.

CD stud welding is effective in welding components as small as 14 gauge to as large as  ⅜“ diameter with a strong connection. With this method, we’re able to create food grade equipment with benefits including:

 

1. Smooth connection points and lines that offer an easy clean and eliminate pits, cracks, or divots that could catch and hold onto dirt and food products.
2. Faster welding time so our customers save time, money, and stress in ordering and receiving equipment.
3. Strong equipment with long-lasting materials that won’t rust or stain over time.
4. Components that can be easily repaired with additional CD stud welding if they experience severe stresses leading to a break.

 

Food grade equipment made with CD stud welding is the most relied-upon equipment in all areas of the industry. Even the most delicate stainless-steel kitchen equipment is made strong and durable against the stresses of daily use with the help of CD stud welding.

For high-quality, cost-effective CD stud welding for your food grade equipment, look no further than Northland Fastening Systems. Contact us at (651) 730-7770 for industry-leading food grade welding and other stud welding capabilities or to get started on a project today with Northland Fastening Systems’ expert welding technicians.