Stud Welding Overview

When a bolt or a nut needs to be welded onto a different metal part, stud welding is used; this is another form of the process known as spot welding. Spot welders are usually automatically fed the bolds. These types of weld nuts have a flange and the flange has a smaller nub that is able to melt and create the weld. On studs there is also a part that is un-threaded and necked down which also helps in the melting of the stud.

 

Stud welding is another form of arc welding and it brings a piece of metal and a stud to join together. In most cases there is a flat plate that the stud is joined to and the stud works as an electrode. There are different polarities for this process that are determined by the type of metal that you are going to use. The different steels tat you use will require a different type of current.

 

The way that this is done is through a weld gun where you place the stud against the metal and then an arc is created and it melts the stud and part of the area where the metal is located. The stud is pushed into the pool of molten metal and it stays in place until the two materials are solid again. This happens within milliseconds and makes a very strong connection weld.

This can be a portable process with the help of a portable stud welding machine. This is a very flexible type of welding and can be used in automobiles to work on the bodies, it can be used to weld electrical panels and in construction of ships or buildings.

There is one type of stud welding that is different than the regular type because it doesn't need flux to make it work. This type is called capacitor discharge stud welding. Because this type doesn't need to have the heat concentrated it lets the weld happen quickly and there it has eliminated most of the oxidation.

The capacitor discharge stud welding is most often used when you have small diameters that need to be fastened to a thinner base metal. The arch stud welding is usually used for the larger diameters that need to be fastened to metals that have a thicker base or that are rougher in texture.

There are many advantages to using stud welding and some of it is for appearance. With stud welding you can produce a uniformed look because the energy that is used to create the weld is monitored and controlled meticulously so that the amount of the energy used is consistent. This makes the weld strong and consistent.

 

You can also use stud welding with a variety of steels including aluminum, stainless steel, copper, brass and even zinc. Some of the more exotic steels can also be used in this process.  This process also eliminates the need to do anything extra to the holes like drilling or tapping and the surface metal will not have to be touched up by polishing; this method does it all. This makes a very strong connection.