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
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. This process is part of a larger family of fastening methods known as Stud Welding, or “Pin” Welding.
At Midwest Fasteners, we know that saving time is crucial to all types of operations. And easy to use, portable studwelding can be used to install many varieties of fasteners.
Since equipment setup is critical to getting the job done properly, let’s take a look at how Midwest Fasteners can help.
CD Welding Systems use readily-available, everyday electricity, and this is only one of the things that makes them:
very portable
made up of simple, light-weight parts,
able to work in short, low-temperature, weld cycles,
and used on sheet metal thickness material to create high strength welded fasteners in lots of types.
From this we get strength, speed and reliability by a simple process.
Capacitor Discharge studwelding occurs in 4 instant steps.
Contact
Ignition
Placement of the Stud (or ‘closing the Gap’)
and, “Bonding” of the Weld
For a closer look at setting up the C.D. stud, or pin, “welder” we’ll use a standard portable Midwest Fasteners Capacitor Discharge system.
First, the main unit is called the power unit, or “Controller”. It connects to one-hundred-and-volt or “wall power”. Some units have detachable power cords, some come with a power cord connected.
Next, the Capacitor Discharge gun is connected by Weld and Control Cables to the power unit. These hook-ups will provide signal to the unit from the gun and pass the weld charge during the actual weld cycle.
Each Capacitor Discharge stud welding system also has a Ground Cable, which is essential to “complete” the circuit for the weld cycle.
Finally, proper accessories are needed to prepare the gun for welding a specific type and size of fastener.
These components make up the “contact” capacitor discharge stud welding system as provided by all MIDWEST Fasteners CD portables.
Now, here’s a closer look at how to hook up a Capacitor Discharge stud welding unit.
Keep safety in mind in the operation of StudWelding and all types of power equipment. Always observe local and job-related safety practices, and keep in mind that this is electrical equipment capable of producing substantial power and voltages. Be sure to consult Manuals for your equipment and review trade-related guidelines for best practices under all conditions.
Connect the Ground Cable to the Unit, based on unit markings provided on the Control Unit.
Also, note here, some units have special “hook ups” for Ground connection based on the welding to be done, something like “CD” or “Cuphead”. If so, follow those markings.
You will also have a simple, single ground connection port.
Complete “grounding the work” by connecting the Ground Clamp to the metal to be welded. Make sure that this connection is tight and “clean” at all times.
Most stud welding is set up in “straight” polarity with the Ground “Positive” and the Gun providing the “Negative” pole for weld flow. Reverse polarity is also an available hook-up and can be used in some applications. Consult your References and Stud welding suppliers if you need to know more.
Next, the Gun is connected to the Power Unit by two cables:
a weld cable,
and a control line
Again, manufacturers provide markings to assist in helping to set up and connect properly. In each case, make sure the connections are sound and tight plus “locked” into place properly with their connector.
Finally make your power connection with the Power Cord.
Remember, easy hook up and portability allow you to “use” the CD system virtually anywhere, and only one-hundred-and-ten volt “everyday” electricity is needed.
Finally, select and properly install the right Accessories in, an on the CD gun. This is done based on the type and size of fasteners to be welded with the CD system. All connections here should be tight and complete; just as with the cable connections before.
With these simple steps completed, you can turn the Controller ON and your Capacitor Discharge system is ready-to-weld for stud, or pin, welding.
Simply:
Load
Contact
Weld
With that you have fast installation, reliable results, with a high quality weld.
A weld that is strong, even under substantial loads through a bond that is formed immediately, and that will fail in the fastener BEFORE it fails in the weld under tests.
Capacitor Discharge stud welding and Midwest Fasteners’ CD portable equipment is fast, reliable, and gives superior weld strength on many types of fasteners.
For more information on 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
