Choosing between CD welding and Drawn Arc Stud Welding has been one of the major confusion for years. If you’ve ever wondered which type of stud welding application would suit your welding needs when welding a metal stud to a metal surface, this blog is an ultimate guide to clear all your common doubts and make a wise choice. A weld stud is a specially designed stud or bolt. It is directly attached to a workpiece or base material via a welding process. These weld fasteners help the stud or bolt to form a bond and attach permanently to the workpiece.
The two major types of stud welding include Drawn Arc (DA) Welding and Capacitor Discharge Stud Welding. As mentioned in our CD Welding blog, choosing the suitable process involves a careful decision based on the parent material, required weld strength, the thickness of the parent material, the diameter of the stud, and welding aesthetics requirements. Drawn Arc (DA) Welding is majorly used for heavy parent materials & high diameter studs. In contrast,
Difference Between Drawn Arc Welding and CD Welding
CD Welding
- In this welding method, a small projection/pip at the end of the stud comes in contact with the workpiece. The energy from the charged capacitors gets discharged across the point of contact resulting in stud projection melting and creating a molten pool in the parent material.
- Capacitor Discharge Stud Welding is used for thin parent materials.
- CD Welding is used when clean welds are required.
- It is used when you want to avoid marking on the reverse side of the weld.
Drawn Arc Welding
- In the Drawn Arc Welding process, the stud is loaded into the collet of the welding gun. A ferrule (ceramic shield that contains the molten metal pool) is placed over the end. When a weld is initiated, the gun is placed against the workpiece, and the trigger is pressed, the low DC current flows between the workpiece and stud end. The stud is lifted immediately to draw a pilot arc. After completion of the arcing time, the solenoid lift mechanism is de-energized. The stud is then pushed under controlled spring pressure into the molten metal pool. The molten metal begins to solidify, creating a strong weld.
- DA Welding is used when high-quality welds are required.
- It can be used to weld scaly, slightly oily materials.
- It does not require additional materials such as flux, inert gas, etc.
- It eliminates difficult operation alternatives to welding such as drilling, riveting, punching.
- It can be used to weld studs of higher diameter from 3mm to 25mm.
- The labour cost is less as the DA welding machines are not complex and do not require trained professions to perform the welding.
- The process is usually done fast due to no through-hole preparation.
The scope of stud welding is vast. This quick guide on the difference between DA Welding and CD Welding must have given you a brief idea about both welding types. At Artech Welders, we are involved in the manufacturing and supplying of industrial welding machines. Being the market leader for years, we are known for the premium quality, latest technology, a wide range of welding machines, at affordable prices. Get in touch with us for CD welding machines, Drawn Arc welding machines and more.
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