What makes a good stud weld? For a quality welded stud, you always need the proper amount of heat and time (or pressure). With too much or too little of either, you’re simply not going to be able to deliver a quality and consistent bond. Whether you’re talking about CD stud welding, arc stud welding, or any type of stud welded fastening, these are two of the most important requirements to consider.
Now fortunately, “heat” for stud welding is a somewhat easy factor to measure and control. Fluctuations can be accounted for, and various tools can quantify heat and let operators know if conditions are becoming critical. The problem is: measuring pressure can be a bit more complicated. It differs from heat in that applying pressure in the welding process is a mechanical function.
Why does this make such a difference? Like with any other mechanical function, there are certain variables to consider. Factors like rust, surface contamination, or friction in parts in use could all have an outside effect on the actual pressure delivered to the stud welding cycle. In addition to this, unlike the heat factor, there are no instruments to tell an operator if the right amount of pressure is being applied in the normal course of stud welding operations. Of course a brand new, factory-supplied gun should be operating at optimal performance; but, after that initial break-in period, a preventative maintenance program should be considered mandatory—as it should for any mechanical device involved in repeated use. For instance, since it is a documented that something in the neighborhood of seventy-to-eighty percent of bad stud weld result is caused by poorly maintained guns, it is suggested that weld guns be disassembled and cleaned at least once per month—depending upon the environment and use conditions for each user.
By following this type and other simple guidelines, you can ensure that the appropriate amount of pressure is being used every time—that timing for your stud welding operation is under proper control—and that a good-repeatable stud welding result is not far behind.
Insulation Anchor and Hanger Adhesives are water resistant, thermal shock resistant, and have an uncompromised level of strength. However, their effectiveness depends on proper use. By following these guidelines, you will get the most out of this heavy duty, industrial strength product.
SURFACE PREPARATION. Surfaces that are to be bonded need to be clean, dry, and free of contaminants. This includes dust, frost, wax, oil, moisture, dirt, grease, and rust. Do not use over painted surfaces, and remember that many protective coatings are not compatible with anchor adhesive. New concrete surfaces need to cure for 28 days minimum for best adhesion, and all concrete surfaces should be water or sand blasted to remove foreign matter and surface curing agents. Remember to check the quality of the surface where adhesion is applied; loose or unstable surfaces will compromise the strength of the adhesive bond.
TEMPERATURE PREPARATION. Adhesive should be stored at room temperature (60ºF to 80ºF) for at least 24 hours prior to use. While working, the adhesive and materials to be bonded should be between 30ºF to 120ºF. Do not apply at temperatures below 30ºF. It is recommended to maintain these surface and air temperature guidelines for the first 72 hours after application, or “curing period,” to allow proper setup and cure of material.
ANCHOR INSTALLATION METHOD. Prepare and install one insulation anchor at a time. Apply a dab (about the size of a small walnut) of adhesive to the base with a putty knife and press the anchor firmly into place immediately using a slight twisting motion (maximum open time is 10 minutes). After the anchor has been firmly pressed into place, ensure that a film of adhesive covering the anchor base is protruding through the Anchor perforations. If “fingers” of glue do not protrude through the perforations in the anchor base, the anchoring may not hold.
By applying these simple rules, you will help create the optimal bonding, strength and benefits from this high-hold, heavy-bodied specialty adhesive.
When it comes to proper pin welding, there are certain simple but crucial do’s and don’ts, and it’s important to be aware of them. A minor misstep can make a major difference. Here, we lay out the do’s of the pin welding process:
Connect welder to proper incoming AC power (110 volt for most systems).
Connect weld gun to negative, Ground to positive receptacles (“straight” polarity) and twist, or properly “lock”.
Connect Ground tightly, firmly, and cleanly to work surface, assuring “connection” to all weld points.
Use the complete system, including ALL cables and ALL accessories for your application.
Make sure Gun is set up for your specific application, and do so properly by tightening all hold-downs, set-screws, and accessory components. Understand and use proper accessories and “technique” for pin in use.
Use proper pin for weld surface material: aluminum to aluminum ONLY.
Observe “1/8’s”: no more than 1/8” of pressure to the pin, any type, during welding AND when welding Cuphead or Mini-Cup. Pins: use a pin at least 1/8” longer than material depth.
Paper Washer or insulated, Cuphead MUST be used on foil-faced, FSK material to prevent arcing to facing and produce full and proper welds.
Expect unit to “hum” during each charge cycle.
Observe ALL fire and electrical codes, plus rules of common sense.
Follow each of these steps carefully to ensure safe and successful pin welding. Stay tuned for our next blog post on the don’ts of pin welding….
Now that you’re aware of what’s crucial to DO during the pin welding process, let’s take a look at what you should NOT do.
Removing the cover. Don’t do this for any reason when the power is connected.
Don’t stand in any water when you’re welding. You also shouldn’t sit any units or cables in any form of water or moisture, and don’t weld in wet clothing.
Be careful of flammables. Don’t weld near them or any explosive hazards without proper precautions.
Don’t weld without proper eye and body protection. Look away from, and not directly at the weld area during a weld.
Don’t lubricate a gun, gun shaft, or any part of a unit.
Don’t use a collet or chuck that will not grip the fastener snugly or shows lack of grip.
During a weld, don’t move the gun! Wait until the cycle is complete.
Don’t push the gun down until the spring in the gun “bottoms” out on any type of weld pin.
Don’t attempt to solve quality weld problems by turning the unit up to its maximum power.
Don’t coil up cables in loops in one area, especially near a point of weld.
Please keep the tips from our previous blog (The Do’s of Pin Welding), along with the tips listed in the blog above for safe and optimal pin welding processes! If we can help in any way – please let us know.
Use of the MIDWEST Capacitor Discharge (CD) Weld Gun is one of the best ways to ensure proper welding for many studwelding applications. Within this Weld Gun’s operation, spring pressure applied at the time of welding is a key element to ensure that best welding of your CD Weld Studs takes place. Many users find this is because of the “timing” built into the gun’s action, along with the configuration of the weld tip on each-and-every capacitor discharge weld stud.
All of our standard CD Guns (CDWG-201-35) come with a standard tension Silver Spring, while the MIDWEST Precision CD Gun (CDPG-200-35) comes with a higher tension black spring. All CD Guns come with a removeable rear-cap design that makes the gun shaft spring interchangeable— and therefore fully adaptable to all types of special applications.
There are certain recommendations and guidelines to follow to ensure best practices. Of course there can be many special circumstances and conditions specific to individual jobs, and these are just guidelines. However, by following the guidelines as a starting point, they can be a good guide to assist in achieving optimal CD stud welding.
Conditions and applications can vary. Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding these guidelines and recommendations, or any studwelding questions you may encount
Getting work done quickly and reliably is really important these days. At Midwest Fasteners, we know that easy to use portable stud welding to install many kinds of fasteners is a fast and practical way to get jobs done. And we know that Midwest Fasteners can help.
Cuphead Weld Pins, sometimes called “Mini” Cups, can be applied using Capacitor Discharge stud welding. This process is often called “CD” welding for short.
It’s a portable welding process which uses readily-available electric power from an everyday, 110-volt outlet.
In addition to being portable, CD Welding Systems have:
simple components,
work quickly,
and can be used on sheet metal thickness material to apply Cuphead Weld Pins and a variety of Welded Fasteners using this welding method.
Using the CD process for Cuphead welding offers a high strength weld very quickly and reliably, with minimum labor to install insulating materials. It can be used with Stainless & Mild Steel — even coated and Galvanized materials with no burn-through of the metal, and no special weld setups.
This type of pin welding is often used to insulate duct work and for application of ductlining insulation, especially when Insulation needs to be applied “remotely” or in-the-Field, on a jobsite.
The process of Capacitor Discharge welding occurs in a series of 4 instant steps:
Contact
Ignition
Placement of the Stud or Pin
and, “Completion” of the Pin Weld
Here’s how to set up properly for Cuphead welding with the CD portable. The standard, portable CD system consists of:
A Controller [or Power Unit] which is plugged into a 110 volt power outlet.
The CD Gun and Cables which are used to control the power unit and deliver weld current. The Gun also serves as the Pin holder, plus places the pin properly during welding.
and, A ground cable and clamping connection which is attached to the work and provides the rest of “the circuit” to complete our Capacitor Discharge weld system.
Finally, special Accessories are used to fit the Pin to the Gun. For Cuphead Pin Welding the accessory is a Magnetic Chucking device.
These parts make up the CD system and we are ready to set up for Cupheads.
Prepare the CD Cuphead Gun, by loosening the screws at the end of the gun to accept the Magnetic Chuck.
Insert the Chuck fully into the Gun until it “seats” and stops.
Lastly, tighten the set screws (in this case 2 of them), and check to see that the Gun is free and clear to operate smoothly during the weld. All parts should be cleanly and tightly connected to assure proper welding of any fastener both at the weld end, through the gun and pin, plus at the ground point.
A finished Cuphead weld shows the advantages of Capacitor Discharge welding with NO backside distortion or burn-through. The weld provides good strength from the bond, and fastening is created in a short cycle which exhibits strength sufficient to support materials without falling down or pulling loose.
Since the CD process can deliver 15-20 welds per minute, material is installed quickly and cleanly.
C.D. one-hundred-and-ten volt systems can weld as quickly as you:
Load
Contact
and Apply
With that you get fast welded results on lots of fasteners, with pins placed reliably one-after-another, all with good holding power to support materials of all types.
Midwest Fasteners’ Capacitor Discharge stud welding is fast, reliable, and gives superior weld strength on many types of fasteners.
For more information on Cuphead and CD Stud Welding, see our industry leading website at MidwestFasteners.com
Portable stud-welding is easy to operate and can be used to install many types of fasteners, including things like Weld Pins, Weld Studs and Cuphead (or “mini-Cup”) Insulation Pins.
At Midwest Fasteners, we know that getting work done fast and with reliability is really important to most jobs, and we have ways to help with that. The fast and practical application of Capacitor Discharge StudWelding.
A process often called “CD” welding for short.
Installing Fasteners with “C.D.” welding can be very portable and uses “everyday”, one-hundred-and-ten-volt power.
In addition ease-of-use, CD Welding Systems have:
simple parts
work quickly
and can be used on thin metals to apply a range of Fasteners.
The process of Capacitor Discharge welding occurs in a series of 4 rapid steps:
Contact
Ignition
Placement of the Fastener
and “Completion” of the Weld.
Looking at a standard MIDWEST Portable C.D. welder, here are the components of the weld system.
a Power Unit, which is plugged into the source for one-hundred-and-ten-volt power
a CD Gun with Cables
a ground cable and clamping connection
and finally, Gun Accessories to fit the fastener to the Gun.
These parts make up the CD system and we are ready to install parts using C.D. Stud-Welding. With the Gun prepared for the fastener to be welded, the Fastener is held in the gun and everything is properly adjusted. The fastener makes contact with the surface to be welded, as the operator locates the weld gun flat to the surface.
Pressure is applied, the CD Gun is triggered, and just that quickly, the CD equipment completes the weld.
The welded part shows NO backside distortion or “BURN-through” and the weld will provide good strength under pressure.
The Strength of the C.D. weld is strong enough to fail in the fastener “before” it fails in the weld, when properly applied. Ultimately, giving us superior strength for holding firmly in place on many types of applications and uses.
Since the CD process can deliver 15-20 welds per minute, material is installed quickly and positively.
One-hundred-and-ten-volt systems can weld as quickly as you load, contact, and weld.
Using the same type set up and steps we can also apply Stud-sized fasteners just as quickly and reliably.
Testing again shows the Strength of the C.D. weld, which is strong enough to fail in the fastener “before” it fails in the weld.
On very light gauge materials, the base of the stud will actually “pull out” of the material, maintaining the weld under stress, rather than show failure in the fastener. In this case the weld is maintained, but base material is not sufficient to support the load, therefore the base metal shows the failure.
But, the C.D. studweld still “Holds”.
Improperly welded parts can be “read” to evaluate problems with application.
As we saw earlier, a PROPERLY welded C.D. part will fail in the fastener, before failing in the weld. That weld also illustrates proper burn-in and weld appearance. Notice the weld has 360-degrees of melted material at the base.
This melting is consistent, tends to ‘adhere’ to the base diameter of the stud, and is not “splashing out” away from the stud base.
A COLD weld looks different and will fail because of too little heat or too little “time” in the weld cycle.
Notice in this sample of a Cold weld, that there is little or NO melted material around the base of the welded stud. Also the stud, or pin, can appear to be “sitting up” on the material and NOT illustrate good bonding “into” the base metal after the weld cycle.
Looking at the failed part, we see a silver, “soldery” appearance and sometimes even “remains of the weld tip” which was not fully ignited.
In this case heat or time needs to be adjusted to work together. We see this most often at Midwest Fasteners, when proper accessories are “not used” or when the accessories are “not used properly” in the set-up o the weld gun .
HOT Capacitor Discharge welds are also easy to spot.
With too much heat or too little weld time, there is a noticeable SPLASH of the weld material away from the stud base. In some cases there is so much splash, that there is just not enough metal to “weld to” as the studweld is made.
A failed HOT part like this also shows a violent, burnout during the weld cycle, giving it the name “HOT weld”.
Again, heat or time needs to be adjusted to work together.
Again we see this from Midwest Fasteners, when proper accessories are “not used” or “not used properly” in weld gun setup AND especially when the C.D. Welder is turned up too high in it’s voltage setting to “solve” weld quality problems—be sure to consult your Owner’s manual, or equipment markings, for proper settings for the diameter and type of part to be welded.
Cuphead or mini-Cup welding is quite different due to the Pin-Welding process for installations of this type.
The welded Cuphead is designed to provide “support” or Pull-Away strength—-strength sufficient to hold material in place.
To test this, pull from under the washer-head of the welded Cuphead. Pulling straight-away from the base tests the weld strength. Properly welded cupheads should withstand this test and feel ‘strong’ in the bond to the base metal.
Cupheads are NOT designed to provide anything more than support strength and will NOT ordinarily show side-to-side, or ‘shear’, strength.
For more on Cuphead welding and how to install and test cupheads, see Midwest Fasteners video “How to Install Cupheads”
AND for more information on Weld Pins, CD Stud Welding, and Midwest Fasteners;
At Midwest Fasteners, we know that getting work done quickly and reliably is really important to most jobs, and we can help with that using Capacitor Discharge Stud Welding.
Easy to operate, portable stud-welding can be used to install many types of fasteners.
These include Weld Pins or Weld Studs, and can be applied using Capacitor Discharge stud welding. A process often called “CD” welding for short.
CD Fasteners can be stud-welded, saving money by doing the fastening work quickly and with reliability.
Installing Fasteners with “C.D.” welding is very portable and uses readily-available electric power from an everyday, one-hundred-and-ten-volt power outlet.
In addition to being portable, CD Welding Systems have:
simple components
they work quickly
and can be used on sheet metal thickness material to apply Welded Fasteners using the capacitor discharge method.
The process of Capacitor Discharge welding occurs in a series of 4 instant steps:
Contact.
Ignition.
Placement of the Stud or Pin
and, “Completion” of the Pin Weld
We can use a standard MIDWEST Portable C.D. system to install Weld Pins, here are the component parts of the C.D. System.
a Controller [or Power Unit] which is plugged into a one-hundred-ten-volt power outlet to provide weld power and control.
a ‘CD’ Gun with Cables, which delivers the welding-grade power and holds the fastener properly during welding.
a ground cable and clamping connection which is attached to the work surface to provide the rest of “the circuit” to our weld set up.
and finally, special Accessories are needed to fit the Pin to the Weld Gun.
These parts make up the CD system and we are ready to install using Weld Pins using CD Stud Welding.
The Gun is prepared with the chucking accessory know as a “Collet” for this type fastener. Weld pins, properly sized and of the proper type, are held in the gun prior to welding by the Collet. Likewise, the “Foot” on the end of the gun is properly adjusted.
The gun-mounted pin in the Collet makes contact with the metal surface to be insulated, and the operator places the gun flat and flush onto the surface.
With pressure applied to remain rigid and stable, the installer triggers the Pin Gun, and the CD process completes the weld just that quickly.
The equipment now recovers instantly as you break contact with the welded pin, and is ready for the next weld.
The welded pin shows NO backside distortion or “BURN-through” with the weld providing good strength from the bond. The Strength of the C.D. weld is strong enough to fail in the fastener “before” it fails in the weld when applied properly, ultimately giving us superior strength for holding material in place.
Since the CD process can deliver 15-20 welds per minute, material is installed quickly and positively.
One-hundred-and-ten-volt “CD” systems can weld as quickly as you:
Load
Contact
and Shoot
The finished C.D. Weld has the advantages of Capacitor Discharge welding:
simple operation with no special power hook ups
no special welding enclosures
and no weld masks or special welding clothing required
And with that you get fast welded results on lots of fasteners, placed reliably one-after-another, all with good holding power to support material of all types.
Midwest Fasteners’ Capacitor Discharge stud welding is fast, reliable, and gives superior weld strength on weld pins, on weld studs, and on many types of fasteners.
For more information on Weld Pins and CD Stud Welding, please visit our leading website at MidwestFasteners.com
At Midwest Fasteners, we know that portable stud welding can be used to install many types of fasteners quickly and with strength for practical use in everyday applications. Setting up for stud-welding is a simple process.
Weld Studs, sometimes called “Stud Welded Fasteners”, can be welded using Capacitor Discharge stud welding or “C.D.” for short. This is a portable welding process which uses readily-available electric power from an everyday, one-hundred-and-ten-volt power outlet.
In addition to being portable, CD Welding Systems have:
simple components,
work quickly,
and can be used on sheet metal thickness material to apply Studs and a variety of Welded Fasteners using the capacitor discharge process
Using Capacitor Discharge for Stud Welding offers a high strength weld, both quickly and reliably.
It can be used with Stainless & Mild Steel — even coated and Galvanized materials— plus Aluminum; with no burn-through of the metal, AND no special weld set-ups required.
The process of Capacitor Discharge welding occurs in a series of 4 fast steps:
Contact
Ignition
Placement of the Stud
and “Completion” of the Pin Weld
The standard, portable CD system consists of:
The Controller [ or Power Unit] which is plugged into the one-hundred-and-ten-volt power outlet.
The CD Gun with Cables which is used to command the power unit and deliver weld current with the Gun also serving as the Stud holder to properly place the fastener during welding.
Then, on the other side of “the circuit”, a ground cable and clamp is attached to the work-surface to complete our weld connections.
Finally, special Accessories are used to hold the Stud in the Gun.
These parts make up the CD weld system.
It is critical to set the gun up properly, to allow these steps and components to go into action and to allow CD Studs to weld reliably. There are several ways to set up for stud welding with the MIDWEST CD portable.
First, a simple assembly called,”B” Collet and “B” Stop.
To install these accessories as an assembly, prepare the C.D. Gun, by loosening the screws at the end of the gun-shaft to accept the parts. At the same time, loosen the set screw on each gun leg.
Before installing the Collet, make sure the Collet is the proper size for the stud diameter to be welded. Next, insert a proper length “Stop” into the back of the Collet.
Proper sizing means the Stud will protrude past the end of the Collet, but still be held tight and rigidly during welding.
NEVER allow the head of the stud, or what is call the “Flange” to come in contact with the Collet during welding action.
Insert the Collet and Stop Assembly into the Gun until it “seats” and stops fully.
Next, tighten the set screws, in this case 2 of them, and check to see that the Gun is free and clear to operate smoothly during the weld.
With the Collet installed, insert a Stud fully into the Collet until it stops. Slide the Leg and Foot Assembly until you have only an eighth-of-an-inch of Stud sticking out past the foot. This is called “proper protrusion” and is critical to allow the Welder, Stud and Capacitor Discharge Welding Process to perform properly.
Once the eighth-inch is set, tighten both set screws to keep the foot steady.
If your job requires different length Studs to be used from time-to-time, make this adjustment to each Stud length to be welded, always ending with the critical eighth-inch of protrusion.
That completes set up of The Collet with Stop and you are ready to weld. Just:
load
contact
and weld
And finally where Stud placement requires C.D. welding to place long fasteners, the MIDWEST C.D. gun and it’s special design, can accept another set of accessories to accommodate these jobs with what is called an “Internal Stop”.
Removing the rear cap from the MIDWEST C.D. gun exposes the back side of the gun shaft.
Made with internal threading, this type shaft will accept a “stop-holder” and a “stop”.
Size the stop to accommodate the longer Studs to be used. For extra assistance with stop sizing and length consult the MIDWEST Equipment manuals, accessory parts lists, or your MIDWEST Distributor.
With the stop mounted in the “Holder”, install this assembly into the shaft and replace the Gun’s Main Spring & Rear Cap.
Now install a “B” Collet just like before, with NO stop this time; allowing the stud to pass down-into the gun. The fastener will be held in place at a set stopping-point by the internal-stop and set-up can proceed with adjustment of the foot and legs, which is one-eighth inch protrusion and welding as previously shown.
With any of the MIDWEST Gun accessories shown you can get fast welded results with the C.D. stud welding process.
Midwest Fasteners’ Capacitor Discharge stud welders can cycle for 15-20 welds per minute, and material can be installed quickly and cleanly, using only one-hundred-and-ten-volt power, with reliably welded fasteners, one-after-another, and all with good holding-power to support materials of all types.
For more information on Weld Studs and CD Stud Welding, please visit our industry leading website at MidwestFasteners.com
