Northland Fastening Systems supplies a complete range of products for stud welding manufacturers working at all sizes for drawn arc, capacitor discharge (CD), and short cycle operations. Not only do we offer tools for rent or purchase, studs in all dimensions, and welding accessories; we also provide repair services for most models and the advice of our expert technicians. NFS was founded in 1987 and started providing stud welding supplies to the industrial and commercial construction industries. While the majority of the market for our supplies in the 1980s to the early 2000s was dedicated to the construction industry, today it’s a little different. After the major construction work in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Rochester that built up the cities into the 2000s was completed, the industrial market had room to grow. Today, about 80% of our supply chain goes to the industrial market, while the remaining 20% goes to commercial construction. For both the industrial industry and the commercial construction market, there are many applications of stud welding. In particular, drawn arc welding for shear connectors, bar anchors, threaded studs, and many other formats are utilized heavily throughout industrial and building construction.
Drawn Arc Welding
Some industrial and commercial projects made with drawn arc welding include the following.
Industrial Projects
- Ladders and railings: For many purposes, secure ladders and railings made with structural steel are critical for industrial settings. Scaffolding, catwalks, safety bars, and egress ladders all serve significant roles in manufacturing. In addition to ladders and railings, structural steel welding is also used for beams of all shapes and sizes.
- Chutes: Whether they are made for ducting, ventilation, turbines, or material transfer, chutes are often built with stud welding operations. Stud welding chutes are also critical in hydroelectric energy production.
- Pipe shoes: Our plumbing, irrigation, oil, and power infrastructure is made possible with hundreds of underground and aboveground pipelines. These pipes need to be installed on top of thousands of pipe shoes that run along the length of the systems. Pipe shoes are built with stud welding fastening systems.
- Modular fabrication: Many buildings and other structures are made with modular fabrications. Beam structures built into sectional modules can be shipped and fitted together more easily than large single pieces. These beams are fastened with stud welding operations.
Commercial Projects
- Schools and universities: Campus buildings and grade schools have many components built with stud welding to ensure the safety of students and meet the requirements of an educational space.
- Churches: Many churches are incorporating structural steel design elements, including steeples, clock towers, fencing, and more.
- Municipal buildings: Stud welding is also key in building safety systems into municipal buildings, including police and fire stations, court houses, and prisons.
- Minneapolis Skyway System: The Minneapolis Skyway is the largest enclosed second-level bridge in the world. It’s made up of 9.5 miles of pathways installed with welding studs.
To learn more about our supplies and drawn arc welding operations, contact Northland Fastening Systems today at (651) 730-7770, or request a quote online.