Drawn arc welding is a complex process made simple with today’s technology. Though welding has been around for centuries, beginning with the oldest forge welding to today’s capacitor discharge welding, it hadn’t begun development into the highly advanced process contemporary welders use until the late 1970s. Thanks to the advancement of welding techniques since then, we are able to utilize both drawn arc and capacitor discharge processes to perform stud welding operations. If you are working on a CD or drawn arc stud welding project, Northland Fastening Systems has everything you need from tools for rent and sale, studs of all shapes and sizes, stud welding accessories, and our own welding services.
When it comes to the traditional format of drawn arc stud welding, there are several stages of the procedure to take into consideration. First, the welding operation itself, which follows a simple step-by-step process:
- The welding gun is set onto the base material at the desired weld point and the operator compresses the main spring partially.
- The trigger is then compressed, and the stud is lifted magnetically from the base material to create an arc.
- The arc melts the stud tip and the base material while a ceramic ferrule shield concentrates the heat, containing it to one weld point.
- The stud is then compressed into the base material, melding the two molten metal components.
- The welding gun releases the stud, the ferrule is broken, and the welding process is complete.
A drawn arc stud welding process creates a bond that is stronger than the stud itself. As welding processes go, drawn arc welding is one of the most effective, fastest, and strongest operations for stud welding manufacturing. For even more effective, accurate drawn arc stud welding, templating is a highly useful procedure.
Templates improve the accuracy of a welding operation that uses a ceramic ferrule to contain the heat during the arc. Steel plates hold the ferrule in place, while spacers allow the gasses from the weld to escape through gaps underneath the template plates. Additional template options may allow tube templates with ventilation holes to hold the ferrule, or brushing templating can be applied.
Brushing templates allow for angled alignment of the stud in addition to an exact location. These templates use a tube adapter to sheath the stud and tilt it to the desired angle. The tube adapter is connected on one end to a foot component that can be attached to the welding gun and on the other to the ferrule. Template brushing components made from masonite or ebonite are stationed between the template and the tube adaptor. These components protect your template’s longevity and improve the accuracy of the weld. Virtually all drawn arc welding operations benefit from the use of a template.
To learn more about drawn arc stud welding and our additional services for stud welding, contact Northland Fastening Systems at (651) 730-7770 today.