With the resurgence of the automotive industry and other sectors of the economy, such as the building construction industry, the need for stud welding continues to be on the rise. With over 20 years of stud welding experience, Midwest Fasteners understands the importance of quality stud welding products, especially for these industries as well as in other sectors of American manufacturing and construction.
Here at Midwest Fasteners, stud welding is our specialty. Stud welding can be defined as a process in which a metal weld stud fastener can be applied onto metal parts using a controlled welding arc. A stud gun is used to place the weld stud on the metal whereby a weld arc melts the stud’s base and the receiving material. The welding stud is then placed into the material and both metals re-solidify. This process allows for welding to occur without the metal being pierced or punctured, making it the perfect choice when welding materials onto containment vessels like holding tanks that contain liquids or other surfaces where a fastener is needed but surface condition and characteristics cannot be compromised. Stud welding is also extremely fast; the process is completed in seconds.
There are two popular methods of stud welding: capacitor discharge stud welding and arc stud welding. Capacitor discharge studs are used when dealing with thinner base metals and can also be used on some dissimilar metal combinations. The process leaves no reverse side marking, only needs 110 volt power as input, can weld up to twenty times per minute, and is used with stud welded fasteners that are under 3/8” diameter or less. Arc stud welding is used for heavier metals with the feature of placing fasteners up to 1-1/4” diameter and needs at least 220 volt power sourcing, or direct current. Ceramic arc shields insure that the weld fillet base is maintained properly under Arc Stud Welding applications.
At Midwest Fasteners, we’ve got a pin welder that’s sure to change your concept of pin welding: SureShotII is tougher, faster and more portable than most other pin welders available, and it’s the most up-to-date capacitor discharge pin welder in the market. It’s easy to see why more demanding users will choose this welder for their toughest jobs.
SureShotII can be used for all industrial applications, even in the most rugged environments. From ductwork to flat-work, the SureShotII installs cupheads, weld pins, and weld studs of all types – and you can take this welder with you, wherever you go!
Weighing in at only 18 pounds, and measuring 14” wide x 12” deep x 6” high, the SureShotII offers many features in addition to its unmatched portability:
Hybrid power technology
Maximum weld capacity for ultra-light stud welders
Dual operating power options
Push-button voltage controls
On-board diagnostics, with a digital LED’s
Rugged non-conductive, non-corrosive exterior in a compact co-polymer case (ideal for use in shipyards and marine environments)
Low-profile, heavy-duty cable connections
Proven Midwest gun technology… and more.
Don’t let its small size and light weight fool you: The SureShotII is tough and rugged. It has the power to apply virtually any stud fastener used in today’s insulation markets, using only 110-volt (or 220-volt as a user option). That’s power you can rely on to get jobs done quickly, safely and as efficiently as possible.
At Midwest, SureShotII is the pin welder of choice for many heavy-duty users, for many different reasons. We’d be happy to tell you more about the rugged features of the SureShotII and how it can meet the challenges of your specific job applications. Give us a call at 1-800-852-8352 or send an email to our sales department. We hope to hear from you soon!
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.
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
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
At Midwest Fasteners, we know that saving time is crucial to all types of operations. Employing easy to use portable stud welding to install all types of fasteners can help get the job done, and Midwest Fasteners can help. Capacitor Discharge, often called “CD” welding for short, is characterized by the use of everyday power from an ordinary one-hundred-and-ten volt electrical outlet.
CD Welding is part of a larger family of fastening methods known as Stud Welding.
In addition to using readily-available electricity, CD Stud Welding Systems are:
very portable
feature simple, light-weight weld equipment,
work in short, low-temperature, weld cycles,
and can be used on sheet metal thickness material to create high strength welded fasteners in lots of varieties–all without the problems of burn-through or piercing the metal they are welded to
The Midwest Fasteners CD stud welder offers strength, speed and reliability from a simple process and weld system.
The Capacitor Discharge process occurs in 4 steps.
Contact
Ignition
Placement of the Stud (or ‘closing the Gap’)
and, Completion of the Weld Bond
For a closer look at the steps in C. D. stud welding, we’ll use a simple portable Midwest Fasteners Capacitor Discharge system.
First, the fastener is held by the Stud Gun allowing it to ‘contact’ the material.
Next, the CD gun is triggered passing the weld charge through the Gun, giving ignition of the stud at the stud tip.
As the “tip” melts, a small area of the material under the head of the Fastener also melts simultaneously. The CD gun forces the stud into the melted material, closing the space between fastener and material, and “landing” the fastener properly.
Finally, the stud is held in place as it instantly bonds together with the base material.
This is the “contact” capacitor discharge stud welding process as provided by all MIDWEST Fasteners CD portables. A closer look at the finished CD weld we’ve made shows the advantages of Capacitor Discharge stud welding.
Since easy hook-up and maximum portability allow you to “use it anywhere”, we only need one-hundred-and-ten volt readily-available electricity. With this the equipment produces low levels of heat, or “arc”, for the actual welding process.
Additionally, the finished weld shows NO backside burning or distortion. This provides many advantages, including a clean finish and clean appearance for an added benefit in many applications.
The weld bond is created in a short cycle, plus exhibits good strength in the actual studweld. In fact, upon destructive testing, it will fail in the thread without failing in the weld.
With that we have fast installation, reliable results and a high quality weld.
The Contact CD process can deliver 15-20 studwelds per minute.
While most actual manual operations will yield slower overall weld rates, these one-hundred-and-ten volt systems can weld as quickly as you:
Load
Contact
and Apply
Midwest Fasteners’ Capacitor Discharge stud welding is fast, reliable, and gives superior weld strength on many types of fasteners.
For more information on CD Stud Welding, go to the industry leading website at MidwestFasteners.com
