• Arc stud welding
Arc stud welding is a highly reliable fastening method for a wide variety of applications. The process can quickly weld almost any size or configuration of metal stud to a workpiece, with maximum weld penetration and reliability.
Arc stud welding creates strong, one-sided welds on base metals as thin as 1.2mm. It produces welds in as little as 0.06 second. The process requires a DC power supply to create the arc; a stud welding gun; metal fasteners; and in some cases, ferrules.
There are three common techniques of arc stud welding: drawn arc stud welding, short arc stud welding and gas arc stud welding.
• Capacitor discharge (CD) stud welding.
Capacitor Discharge (CD) stud welding joins small-diameter studs to thin, lightweight materials. The weld cycle can be completed in 0.01 second on material as thin as 0.5mm. These fast weld times minimize heat buildup, resulting in welds with very little distortion, discoloration or burning. This process is often used when appearance is a critical product feature.
CD stud welding is similar to arc stud welding, except that it uses a capacitor storage system to produce a rapid electrical discharge. No ferrules or flux are needed. The process is used mainly for welding mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum studs.
There are two primary techniques for CD stud welding: contact and gap. Both require a specially designed stud with a projection, or ignition tip, on the end to be welded. This tip provides accurate welding time control with precise repeatability.
