Stud welding operations today are highly standardized manufacturing processes. They are widespread across multiple industries as fastening systems, in composite construction, for large-scale construction, food-grade fabrication, and more. If you’re manufacturing in the automotive, building construction, sheet metal fabrication, electronics, food service equipment, fabrication equipment, structural steel, or many other industries, you’ll likely use stud welding systems at some point in the production process. For any drawn arc, capacitor discharge (CD), or short cycle stud welding operations, Northland Fastening Systems has the tools for rent or purchase, studs in a complete range of dimensions, welding accessories, and other supplies welders need to get the job done. For drawn arc welding, NFS provides supplies meeting all technical requirements and weld specifications necessary for a variety of applications.
Drawn Arc Welding
Drawn arc processes are a type of resistance welding, and for stud welding operations, they often utilize ceramic ferrules, fluxes, and shielding gas. From stud specifications to tensile load strengths, some standard drawn arc welding technical details include:
Studs:
Drawn arc studs can be threaded or unthreaded, including various kinds of internal and external threads. Stud lengths are indicated as L in terms of BW (before weld) and AW (after weld). AW lengths will be shorter to various degrees depending on stud dimensions. Dimensions range depending on the type of stud, including threaded connectors, bar anchors, shear connectors, and headed anchors.
Ferrules:
Ceramic ferrules are used to contain molten stud and surface materials at the point of the weld vary in dimensions. The ferrules you pair with your studs should match sizing and meet ISO ferrule standards. A ferrule should be able to be cracked off and removed from the weld point when it has cooled.
Materials:
Drawn arc stud welding materials are generally grades of low carbon steel and stainless-steel meeting AWS and ASTM Some studs are plated in zinc, nickel, or copper. Drawn arc studs can also be annealed to Rockwell B Hardness of 75-85.
Shielding gas and flux:
Semi-inert gases like argon, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen in various compositions protect the weld point from exposure to oxygen and water vapor that can contaminate the weld. Fluxes can also be used to generate carbon dioxide shielding gas and regulate melt temperatures.
Tensile and torque strengths:
Standard arc weld stud tensile load and torque strength ranges are based on stud diameter, threads per inch, mean effective thread area (META), tensile load pounds, tensile stress in pounds per square inch, and torque in inch pounds. In practical applications, studs shouldn’t be installed at their maximum yield load. Instead, a safety range of no more than 60% of a yield strength should be utilized.
Accessories:
In addition to flux, ferrules, and shielding gas, drawn arc accessories include adjustable chucks, cable connectors, headed chucks, ferrule foot plates, and cable lugs.
To learn more about the technical specifications of drawn arc welding for stud installation, contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770, or request a quote online to get started with us.