WHAT IS STUD WELDING?

STUD WELDING is a high-speed metal fastening process in which a metal fastener can be applied by a welding arc to another piece of metal.

THE PROCESS OF STUD WELDING: The welding stud is placed (with a hand tool called the Stud Gun) in contact with the base metal, a weld arc is drawn which melts the welding stud base and an area of the metal work piece for metal fastening. The welding stud is then forced into the melted area and held in place until the metals re-solidify. This high quality fusion arc weld is complete in milliseconds and is accomplished by one of two major methods.

WHAT ARE THE TWO METHODS OF STUD WELDING? Capacitor Discharge Stud Welding (usually “CD Stud Welding” for short) and Arc Stud Welding. The differences are shown in the illustrations below.

STUD WELDING SYSTEMS consist of a Power Supply and/or “Controller”, a Stud Gun, and Welding Cables to tie the system and work-piece together.

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How Does Capacitor Discharge (CD) Stud Welding Differ From Arc Stud Welding?

How Does Capacitor Discharge (CD)
Stud Welding Work?		How Does Arc Stud Welding Work?
Weld Stud Against Work Weld Stud Against Work Stud and ceramic ferrule against the work plate Stud and ceramic ferrule against the work plate
Welding Process Starts with Stud heading Downward Welding Process Starts with Stud heading Downward Stud is Lifted and Arc is drawn for welding Stud is Lifted and Arc is drawn for welding
Stud Gets Forced into Molten Metal Stud Gets Forced into Molten Metal Stud Gets Forced into Metal starting the weld Stud Gets Forced into Metal starting the weld
Stud is Welded Using Capacitor Discharge Method Stud is Welded Using Capacitor Discharge Method Stud is Welded Using Arc Stud Welding Method Stud is Welded Using Arc Stud Welding Method

What Does Capacitor Discharge (CD) Stud Welding Provide?

The Benefits Include:

  • Welding to thin and sheet metal grade material
  • NO reverse side marking
  • Thread sizes up to 3/8″-16 and M10
  • Only 110 volt power required
  • Up to 20 welds per minute
  • Welded metal fastening of dissimilar metals

What Does Arc Stud Welding Provide?

The Benefits Include:

  • Larger diameter Fasteners (up to 1-1/4″)
  • Penetration of weld zone for structural-type strength
  • Welded metal fastening to heavier base materials
  • DC (direct current), 220 or 440 volt power sourcing
  • Ceramic Arc Shields used to maintain weld

STUD WELDING PROCESS, SPECS, CHARTS & INSTRUCTIONS

As defined by the American Welding Society Stud Welding is:

…the general term for joining a metal stud or similar part to a work piece… [Welding Handbook, Vol. 2, 8th Ed., AWS, 1991]

This is a high-speed, semi-automated metal fastening process in which a metal fastener can be applied by a welding arc to another piece of metal material.

The welding stud is placed (with a hand tool called the Stud Gun) in contact with the base metal, a weld arc is drawn which melts the welding stud base and an area of the metal work piece for metal fastening. The welding stud is then forced into the melted area and held in place until the metals re-solidify. This high quality fusion arc weld is complete in milliseconds and is accomplished by one of two popular methods:

Capacitor-Discharge (usually “CD” for short) and Arc Stud Welding.

For further details, and product or process specific details, choose a link below:

Capacitor Discharge (CD)Arc Stud
General SpecificationsGeneral Specifications (PDF – 664KB)
Welding ProcessCD Stud Welding Process (PDF – 271KB)Arc Stud Welding Process (PDF – 240KB)
Stud/Base ComboCD Stud Base Combination Welding (PDF – 281KB)Arc Stud Weld Base Thickness Guide (PDF – 285KB)
Design Instructions & GuidesCD Weld Preventing Reverse-Side Marking (PDF – 342KB)Arc Stud Location Template & Bushing Design (PDF – 277KB)
Arc Stud Weld Fillet Accommodation (PDF – 290KB)
Physical PropertiesCD Stud Load Strengths (PDF – 250KB)Arc Stud Tensile & Torque Stengths (PDF – 543KB)
Weld InspectionCD Weld Visual Inspection (PDF – 269KB)Arc Stud Weld Visual Inspection (PDF – 373KB)
Weight ChartsCD Stud Weight Chart (PDF – 257KB)Arc Stud Weight Chart (PDF – 829KB)
StylesCD Special Weld Studs (PDF – 272KB)
Weld Studs Mil SpecMIL-S-24149C-1 (PDF – 637KB)
Stud Welding System Mil SpecA-A-59331 (PDF – 870KB)

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