Taylor ARC4000 Series User manual

V-21A
OPERATING GUIDE
FOR
TYPE 1200E
DRAWN ARC CONTROLLER
TAYLOR STUDWELDING
SYSTEMS LIMITED

V-21A
INDEX
2
PAGE No. CONTENT
3USEFUL INFORMATION.
5IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION.
7INTRODUCTION TO STUDWELDING.
8GUIDE TO EXTERNAL FEATURES.
11 SETTING UP AND WELDING.
14 WELDING TIME AND CURRENT SETTINGS.
15 VISUAL WELD INSPECTION.
16 WELD TESTING.
19 STUDWELDING TECHNIQUES.
22 PARTS LIST & EXPLODED DIAGRAMS.
27 PCB’s - LED GUIDE.
28 CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC.
29 ACCESSORIES.
30 DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

V-21A
USEFUL INFORMATION
3
MANUFACTURERS DETAILS
TAYLOR STUDWELDING SYSTEMS LIMITED
COMMERCIAL ROAD
DEWSBURY
WEST YORKSHIRE
WF13 2BD
ENGLAND
TELEPHONE :[phone]
FACSIMILE :[phone]
email :[e-mail]
WEB :www.taylor-studwelding.com
SALES DIRECT TEL :[phone]
TECHNICAL HELPLINE :[phone]
You may wish to record the details of your controller below as this informaon will help
with any technical assistance you may require:
PURPOSE AND CONTENT OF THIS GUIDE
This guide has been wrien for :
• The personnel of the end-user responsible for the installaon and maintenance of the
controller.
• The operator of the welding controller.
This guide contains informaon relang to :
• Installaon and connecon.
• Operaon.
• Technical specicaons and parameters.
• Spare parts.
CONTROLLER SERIAL No.
DATE PURCHASED.

V-21A
USEFUL INFORMATION
4
FURTHER INFORMATION
Should you require addional technical informaon, please contact us directly (details
on previous page) or our local agent / distributor (details of agents etc. can be obtained
from us).
This guide contains important informaon which is a pre-requisite for safe Operaon
of the equipment. The operang personnel must be able to consult this guide when
necessary. In the interests of safety, make this guide available to your personnel in good
me.
If the equipment is sold / passed on, please hand over this manual to the new owner
and if possible please inform us of the name and address of the new owner, in case we
need to contact him regarding the safety of the machine.
PLEASE READ THIS GUIDE CAREFULLY BEFORE INSTALLING OR OPERATING THE
CONTROLLER.
PLEASE OBSERVE CAREFULLY ALL SAFETY PROCEDURES/INSTRUCTIONS.
DUE TO THE POWER REQUIREMENTS AND ELECTROMAGNETIC EMISSIONS
PRODUCED DURING NORMAL USE, THIS MACHINE MUST ONLY BE OPERATED IN
AN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT.
THIS MACHINE OPERATES FROM A MAINS SUPPLY OF 380/415V AC @ 50/60 Hz
NEVER REMOVE ANY PORTION OF THE UNIT HOUSING WITHOUT FIRST
ISOLATING THE CONTROLLER FROM THE MAINS ELECTRICAL SUPPLY.
NEVER OBSTRUCT THE UNDERSIDE, FRONT OR REAR PANELS AS THIS MAY
CAUSE THE UNIT TO OVERHEAT DURING OPERATION.
DO NOT USE THIS WELDING POWER SOURCE FOR PIPE THAWING.
THIS EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN EMC TESTED AND APPROVED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH BS EN 60974-10 (CATEGORY 2).
Taylor Studwelding Systems Limited reserves the right to amend the contents of this guide without nocaon.

V-21A
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION !
5
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS !
Read and understand these safety notes.
ELECTRICAL
No poron of the outer cover of the welding controller should be removed by anyone other
than suitably qualied personnel and never whilst mains power is connected.
ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE MAINS LEAD BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY
MAINTENANCE.
BEWARE - RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK !
Do not use any uids to clean electrical components as these may penetrate into the
electrical system.
Installaon must be according to the seng up procedure detailed on page 11 of this guide
and must be in line with naonal, regional and local safety codes.
FIRE
During welding small parcles of very hot metal are expelled. Ensure that no combusble
materials can be ignited by these.
PERSONNEL SAFETY
Arc rays can burn your eyes and skin and noise can damage your hearing. Operators and
personnel working in close proximity must wear suitable eye, ear and body protecon.
Fumes and gases can seriously harm your health. Use the equipment only in a suitably
venlated area. If venlaon is inadequate, then appropriate fume extracon equipment
must be used.
Hot metal spaer can cause re and burns. Appropriate clothing must be worn. Clothing
made from, or soiled with, combusble materials must NOT be worn.
Have a re exnguisher nearby and know how to use it.
Magnec elds from high currents can aect heart pacemakers or other electronically
controlled medical devices. It is imperave that all personnel likely to come into the vicinity
of any welding plant are warned of the possible risks before entering the area.
MAINTENANCE
All cables must be inspected regularly to ensure that no danger exists from worn or
damaged insulaon or from unsound electrical connecons. Special note should be made
of the cables close to the pistol, where maximum wear occurs. As well as producing
inconsistent welds, worn cables can overheat or spark, giving rise to the risk of re.

V-21A
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION !
6
5. TRAINING
Use of the equipment must be limited to authorised personnel only who must be suitably
trained and must have read and understood this manual. This manual must be made
available to all operators at all mes. Further copies of this manual may be purchased from
the manufacturer. Measures must be taken to prevent the use of this equipment by
unauthorised personnel.
6. LIMITATIONS OF USE
The mass of the welding controller is 150kg and not suitable for man liing. It is ed with
suitable castors to enable man powered movement on at, level, smooth surfaces only. The
welding controller is also ed with appropriate liing points to allow liing by crane/
forkli truck. The controller is not suitable for use in rain or snow or in an environment with
increased risk of electric shock.
6. INSTALLATION
Ensure that the site chosen for the equipment is able to support the weight of the
equipment and that it will not fall or cause a danger in the course of its normal operaon.
Do not hang connecng cables over sharp edges and do not install connecng cables near
heat sources or via trac routes where people may trip over them or they may be
damaged by the passage of vehicles (forklis etc).
7. INTERFERENCE
During welding operaons, intense magnec and electrical elds are unavoidably produced
which may interfere with other sensive Electronic equipment.
All Taylor Studwelding equipment is designed, manufactured and tested to conform the
current appropriate European standards and direcves regarding electromagnec
emissions and immunity and as such is safe to use in any normal environment.
8. DISPOSAL
The equipment either wholly or any of its component parts may be disposed of as part of
general industrial waste or passed to a scrap merchant. None of the components used in
the manufacture are toxic, carcinogenic or harmful to health in their “as supplied”
condion.

V-21A
INTRODUCTION TO STUDWELDING
7
The Taylor Studwelding 1200E Drawn Arc controller when matched with an appropriate
pistol and earth cables is intended for precision stud welding up to 16 mm diameter
reduced base studs. The controller is easily transportable and has been designed to operate
with a minimum amount of maintenance.
The energy required to carry out the welding operaon is derived from a fully micro-
processor controlled transformer-recer inside the controller.
Taylor Studwelding Systems Ltd pistols are modern, ergonomically designed and oer
maximum comfort in handling with minimum operator fague.
THE PROCESS
The process of drawn arc studwelding is long established and well proven. The basic steps
are as follows :
• A measured amount of weld stud protrusion is set at the welding pistol.
• Once in posion, the pistol lis the stud away from the work-piece, simultaneously
striking an arc between the two.
• Both the p of the weld stud and the surface of the work-piece melt as the arc is
sustained for a pre-determined interval.
• At the compleon of the pre-determined interval, the pistol returns the weld stud to
the molten pool on the work-piece, thus forming a weld.
The most common and tradional drawn arc welds have a weld duraon greater than
100ms and employ the use of a single use ceramic arc shield, commonly referred to as a
ferrule. This ferrule helps to protect the arc during the weld and assists in formaon of the
nal llet. Post welding the ferrule is removed and disposed of.
It is possible to stud weld without a ferrule. This method is more commonly employed with
welds having a duraon of less than 100 ms and this type of weld is referred to as short
cycle stud welding. Although no ferrule is employed, it is recommended pracce in short
cycle welding to employ a suitable shielding gas to reduce the amount of porosity in the
completed weld and improve weld quality.

V-21A
GUIDE TO EXTERNAL FEATURES
8
FRONT PANEL
1. GUIDING HANDLE ! NOT FOR LIFTING !
2. MAINS ON/OFF SWITCH
3. CONTROL PANEL SEE PAGE 9
4. SHIELDING GAS OUTLET SOCKET
5. WELDING EARTH CONNECTION SOCKET
6. FRONT CASTOR SWIVEL & BRAKE TYPE
7. VENTILLATION HOLES ! DO NOT OBSTRUCT !
8. PISTOL CONTROL CONNECTION SOCKET
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

V-21A
GUIDE TO EXTERNAL FEATURES
9
CONTROL PANEL
1. CURRENT SETTING PUSHBUTTON
2. WELDING TIME/GAS PURGE TIME DISPLAY WINDOW
3. WELDING CURRENT DISPLAY WINDOW
4. STUD TO WORK PIECE CONTACT INDICATOR - GREEN
5. PISTOL LIFT COIL ENERGISED INDICATOR - GREEN
6. ADJUSTER KNOB
7. WELDING TIME SETTING PUSHBUTTON
8. GAS PURGE TIME SETTING PUSHBUTTON
9. GAS FLOWING INDICATOR - GREEN
10. PISTOL TRIGGER ACTUATED INDICATOR - GREEN
11. CONTROLLER OVER TEMPERATURE INDICATOR - RED (STOPS WELDING)
12. SUPPLY FAULT INDICATOR - RED (INDICATES LOSS OF PHASE)
123456
78910 11 12

V-21A
GUIDE TO EXTERNAL FEATURES
10
BACK PANEL
1. LIFTING EYEBOLT
2. RATING/SERIAL PLATE
3. VENTILLATION GRILLE ! DO NOT OBSTRUCT !
4. REAR CASTORS FIXED TYPE. NO BRAKE.
5. SHIELDING GAS INLET SOCKET
6. 3 Ph MAINS CABLE INLET GLAND
1
2
3
4
5
6

V-21A
SETTING UP AND WELDING
11
Set up the control unit at the place of work, ensuring that the
mains switch is in the OFF posion.
Plug the controller into a suitable three phase AC supply with a
63A motor rated fuse/breaker.
Plug the welding earth cables into the controller. Note that the
cable end weld plug has a peg which mates with the key slot in the
panel mounted socket.
IMPORTANT! Secure the connectors with a clockwise turn unl
they lock. Failure to do this may result in damage to the
connectors during welding.
Aach the welding earth clamps to the work piece at
approximately 180° to each other; this will help prevent "arc-
blow" when welding takes place. Prior to ng the clamps, ensure
that the contact area of the work piece is free from rust, paint,
grease etc., as this will result in a poor welding connecon.
Plug the welding pistol cable into the controller. Note that the
cable end weld plug has a peg which mates with the key slot in the
panel mounted socket.
IMPORTANT! Secure the connectors with a clockwise turn unl
they lock. Failure to do this may result in damage to the
connectors during welding.
Plug the pistol control cable into the controller. Note that the
cable end plug and panel-mounng socket are keyed to prevent
incorrect ng. Push the plug rmly home and twist the locking
ring to secure the plug in posion.
Set up the welding pistol according to the instrucons in the
operang guide supplied with the pistol.

V-21A
SETTING UP AND WELDING
12
Switch the controller ON by turning the mains switch clockwise
through 90°. The venlaon fan will start and the display will
illuminate and carry out a start up diagnosc roune taking
approx’ 6 seconds.
A guide to the recommended me and current sengs can be
found on page 14 of this guide.
Referring back to the control panel guide on page 9, set the
controller by following these simple steps :-
SETTING WELD CURRENT
1. Press and hold the current seng pushbuon (1).
2. Turn the adjuster knob (6) unl the required current is
displayed in the welding current display window (3).
3. Release the pushbuon (1). The current is now set.
NOTE! If the pushbuon (1) is held for more than 3 seconds
before turning the adjuster knob (6), the display (3) will change
to last weld current readback mode and will need to be
released and re-pressed.
SETTING WELD TIME
1. Press and hold the welding me seng pushbuon (7).
2. Turn the adjuster knob (6) unl the required me is
displayed in the me display window (2).
3. Release the pushbuon (7). The welding me is now set.
NOTE! If the pushbuon (7) is held for more than 3 seconds
before turning the adjuster knob (6), the display (2) will change
to last system error code display mode and will need to be
released and re-pressed.
SETTING THE GAS PURGE TIME
1. Press and hold the gas purge me seng pushbuon (8).
2. Turn the adjuster knob (6) unl the required me is
displayed in the me display window (2).
3. Release the pushbuon (8). The gas purge me is now
set.
4. If no gas purge is required, this me parameter must be
set to 0 (zero).
NOTE! If the pushbuon (8) is held for more than 3 seconds before turning the adjuster
knob (6), the display (2) will change to display feedback system parameters (not operator
adjustable) and will need to be released and re-pressed.

V-21A
SETTING UP AND WELDING
13
Place the pistol perpendicular to the work piece with
the stud touching down at the desired locaon to be
welded. Press down on the pistol unl the ceramic
ferrule rests rmly on the work piece. Press the
trigger to iniate the weld sequence.
See the secon on Studwelding Techniques for
further advice.
The welding process is as follows: -
1. Start.
2. Pistol lis stud.
3. Pilot Arc strikes.
4. Main Arc strikes melng both stud and workpiece.
5. Arc stops. Pistol plunges stud into molten pool.
6. Weld complete.
Having welded the stud, draw the pistol vercally o
the stud. Failure to do this may cause the split nes
of the chuck to splay out. This will result in the chuck
and stud arcing together during subsequent welds.
Finally, remove the ferrule by lightly tapping unl it shaers. Visually
inspect the weld.
For a guide to the inspecon of the welded stud see the secons on
Inspecng and Tesng Welded Studs.
1 2 3
4 5 6

V-21A
WELDING TIME AND CURRENT SETTINGS
14
This page is intended as a guide to setting your
machine.
A set of basic formulae as defined by the British
Standard BS EN ISO 14555:2006 (European
Standard EN ISO 14555:2006) Annex A.2.7.2.2
and Annex A.2.7.2.4 may be used to calculate
the current and time settings to weld any stud.
These formulae when applied to standard studs
give results shown in the table on this page. A
graphical representation of the data is also
illustrated below.
The settings generated in the table are only
intended as a starting point. It is possible that
the settings will give
satisfactory results
without adjustment, but
in reality the quality of
the welding results is
governed by many
variable factors. These
include, most
obviously, the welding
time, current and arc-
gap (pistol lift) as
covered in the table, but
can also include factors
such as stud and work-
piece material type and
condition, ambient
temperature, relative
humidity, quality of
supply etc. etc. All of
these factors can act on
the weld to change the
outcome. It is
recommended that in all
instances, you need to
carry out sample welds
in your actual
conditions and
environment. This will
enable you to alter the
settings, where
necessary, to achieve
welds that are most
acceptable to you.
STUD
TYPE
ACTUAL
DIAMETER
(mm)
WELD
CURRENT
(A)
WELD
TIME
(ms)
5FB 5 400 100
6RB 4.7 376 94
6FB 6 480 120
8RB 6.2 496 124
8FB 8 640 160
10RB 7.9 632 158
10FB 10 800 200
12RB 9.5 760 190
12FB 12 960 240
16RB 13.2 1056 528
WELD CURRENT - EN ISO 14555
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
5FB 6RB 6FB 8RB 8FB 10RB 10FB 12RB 12FB 16RB
STUD SIZE
CURRENT (A)
WELD TIME - EN ISO 14555
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
5FB 6RB 6FB 8RB 8FB 10RB 10FB 12RB 12FB 16RB
STUD SIZE
WELD TIME (s)

V-21A
VISUAL WELD INSPECTION
15
This page will help you to recognise a poor weld when you see one and give some of the
possible explanaons as to how it may have occurred. Your test welds should look like the
rst example diagram in the series and once you transfer to the actual job, periodic checks
should be made to ensure that your welding is consistently good.
POINTS TO LOOK FOR IRRESPECTIVE OF PROCESS USED.
• L.A.W. (Length Aer Welding). This should be correct to within + 0 / - 1 mm.
• The base llet of the welded stud is complete.
• The welded stud is perpendicular to the work-piece.
WHEN USING A CERAMIC FERRULE.
This diagram is an example of a good normal weld, fullling the criteria above i.e. The
LAW is correct, the stud has a complete, well formed and even llet and is also
perpendicular to the work-piece.
The following examples will help you to recognise the most common types of poor
weld, explain the possible causes of these problems and how to remedy them.
EXAMPLE 1
PROBLEM : Insucient heat, causing the L.A.W. to be too long and the llet to
be underdeveloped and/or incomplete.
REMEDY : Increase the welding me (see page 12).
EXAMPLE 2
PROBLEM : Excessive heat, causing the L.A.W. to be too short and the llet to be
too large and messy, spreading out under the ferrule and/or
splashing up the threads.
REMEDY : Reduce the welding me (see page 12).
EXAMPLE 3
PROBLEM : The ferrule is not being held rmly against the work-piece and/or
the stud is binding against the ferrule.
REMEDY : Hold the pistol rmly down to the work-piece (see page 14) and
reset the alignment of the stud and ferrule (refer to your pistol
setup guide).
EXAMPLE 4
PROBLEM : Insucient stud protrusion set on the pistol and/or the stud is
binding against the ferrule.
REMEDY : Adjust stud protrusion to correct seng (refer to your pistol setup
guide).
EXAMPLE 5
PROBLEM : Poor alignment i.e. stud is not perpendicular to the work- piece.
REMEDY : Hold the pistol perpendicular to the work-piece (see page 14).
NOTE : If the misalignment is only slight and in all other aspects the weld is
good, then the weld may be salvaged by tapping straight with a so
mallet.
✓






V-21A
WELD TESTING
16
There are two factors which should receive special aenon in establishing visually whether or not
a stud weld is sound. These are :
• The length aer weld (L.A.W.) of the stud should be correct. That is to say that a stud which is
intended to be 50 mm long aer welding, should be correct within +0/-1 mm. A word of
explanaon is perhaps needed on this point. All studs produced include a "weld allowance".
This allowance is so arranged for the dierent diameters of stud, that it will be completely
melted during the welding process, provided of course that the correct condions have been
established and the correct values of current and me are used.
• The llet of metal formed around the base of the stud should be well formed, reasonably
evenly distributed, completely free from blow holes and of a silver blue colour.
These two factors combined form the basis of all visual stud weld examinaon. It should be the aim
of every operator to produce these results.
Under normal condions a stud welded to clean mild steel plate of adequate thickness having the
correct L.A.W. and llet formaon. as described above, will be a sasfactory weld.
It should be remembered, however, that dierent applicaons or condions will produce slightly
dierent visual results, parcularly in the appearance of the llet, i.e.. Slightly rusty, dirty or oily
plate will produce blow holes in the llet, in proporon to the degree of plate contaminaon.
Welding close to some magnec obstrucon may produce uneven llet distribuon. Too much
power will produce a llet that ows too easily and is lost either up in the threads of the stud or out
through the ferrule vents, while too lile power may not melt sucient material to form a complete
llet.
It is important, therefore, to judge the degree to which these possible variaons will aect the weld
strength, but in general, provided that the L.A.W. is correct and the llet formaon is not unsightly,
a visual examinaon is all that is required.
Further tesng may be carried out on a "percentage of producon" basis, and the methods used fall
into the classes outlined below.
1. DESTRUCTIVE TESTING.
Should only be used on studs welded to samples and test pieces.
• Hammering a stud over may look spectacular, but it is not a sasfactory test, as the direcon
and force behind the blows is uncontrolled, as also is the point at which the impact takes
place. The length, diameter and type of stud also have an eect on the results obtained.
• Bending the stud over by using a tube of approximately the same bore as the stud diameter.
This method is preferred to hammering, but again no conclusive evidence as to the strength
of the weld is obtained.
• Loading the stud by the use of washers / spacer and a nut unl the stud breaks. This method
is much more conclusive and should show that the weld is in fact stronger than the stud. Use
of a suitably calibrated torque wrench for this test will give an indicaon of the U.T.S.
developed by the stud material under test.

V-21A
WELD TESTING
17
2. NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING.
Generally the most praccal way of tesng threaded stud welds, without destroying the
stud, is with the use of proof tests. A torque wrench is parcularly useful for this purpose.
Below and overleaf are some tables which you may nd useful. However, it must be noted
that :
• Formulas & data shown are intended for guidance only.
• In applicaons where control of preload is important, the torque - tension
relaonship should be determined experimentally on the actual parts involved
including any lubricants.
• The coecient of fricon (k) varies with material, surface nish and lubricity of
threads and bearing areas of fastened parts.
• For standard steel screws it is 0.19 to 0.25 and 0.13 to 0.17 for plated screws. An-
seize materials and lubricants can lower k to 0.05. For some stainless steel threads
and parts not coated or lubricated k may be as high as 0.33
• All the gures are approximate and do not form part of any specicaon.
• Designers and speciers must sasfy themselves that the studs and materials chosen
are suitable for their parcular applicaon.
All torque gures are calculated by the formula : T = kDP
Where :T = Torque (Nm)
D = Eecve Stud Diameter (m)
k = Coecient of Fricon (0.2 used for calculaons)
Material properes: (N/mm²) (N/mm²) (N/mm²)
UTS Yield Safe
Mild Steel (4.8) 420 340 272
Stainless Steel (1.4301) 540 350 280
Note: safe loads are 80% of the yield

V-21A
Stud loads - Full Base Drawn Arc Studs (kN)
Torque required to reach the loads above (Nm)
Stud loads - Reduced Base drawn Arc Studs (kN)
Torque required to reach the loads above (Nm)
Mild Steel Mild Steel Mild Steel Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Thread UTS Yield Safe UTS Yield Safe
M5 x 0.8 5.8 4.7 3.7 7.4 4.8 3.8
M6 x 1.0 8.2 6.6 5.3 10.6 6.8 5.4
M8 x 1.25 15.2 12.3 9.8 19.6 12.7 10.1
M10 x 1.5 23.8 19.2 15.4 30.6 19.8 15.8
M12 x 1.75 34.6 28.0 22.4 44.5 28.8 23.1
Mild Steel Mild Steel Mild Steel Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Thread UTS Yield Safe UTS Yield Safe
M5 x 0.8 4.9 4.0 3.2 6.3 4.1 3.3
M6 x 1.0 8.2 6.7 5.3 10.6 6.9 5.5
M8 x 1.25 20.7 16.8 13.4 26.7 17.3 13.8
M10 x 1.5 40.5 32.8 26.2 52.1 33.8 27.0
M12 x 1.75 71.0 57.5 46.0 91.3 59.2 47.4
WELD TESTING
18
Mild Steel Mild Steel Mild Steel Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Thread UTS Yield Safe UTS Yield Safe
M6 x 1.0 7.2 5.8 4.7 9.3 6.0 4.8
M8 x 1.25 12.6 10.2 8.2 16.3 10.5 8.4
M10 x 1.5 20.5 16.6 13.3 26.4 17.1 13.7
M12 x 1.75 29.7 24.0 19.2 38.2 24.8 19.8
Mild Steel Mild Steel Mild Steel Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Stainless
Steel
Thread UTS Yield Safe UTS Yield Safe
M6 x 1.0 6.8 5.5 4.4 8.8 5.7 4.6
M8 x 1.25 15.7 12.7 10.2 20.2 13.1 10.5
M10 x 1.5 32.5 26.3 21.1 41.8 27.1 21.7
M12 x 1.75 56.6 45.8 36.6 72.7 47.1 37.7

V-21A
STUDWELDING TECHNIQUES
19
The operang instrucons given previously in this guide apply to the majority of general
applicaons where it is possible to use the pistol in the down hand posion and with standard cable
lengths. For many applicaons these condions do not apply and the following notes will give some
guidance as to the methods used to obtain sasfactory results for a variety of applicaons.
1. WELDING TO A PLATE IN THE HORIZONTAL POSITION.
In this posion there is a tendency for the weld metal to run to the underside of the stud during
welding, due to the acon of gravity, resulng in an uneven llet. The eect is more noceable as
stud diameter increases and generally speaking it is not recommended that studs of 12 mm
diameter and over be welded to vercal plates for this reason. The essenal requirement to obtain
sasfactory llet formaon is to use the shortest weld me possible with increased welding current.
Welding to a vercal surface reduces the maximum size of the stud a given power source will weld.
It must be remembered, that greater care is required to ensure that the stud is perpendicular to the
work piece. A special tripod foot aachment can be supplied if required. Take parcular care to
keep the ferrule grip, foot adapter and chuck clean.
2. WELDING TO A PLATE IN THE OVERHEAD POSITION.
IMPORTANT ! You must protect your face and shoulders with a helmet and cape before carrying out
overhead welding operaons. Weld spaer can do a lot of damage !
Firstly, obtain sasfactory weld sengs in the down hand posion before making aempts in the
overhead posion. Since the weld metal is transferred from stud to plate in small parcles in the
down hand posion, it follows that, when welding overhead, the transfer takes place against
gravity. As with vercal welding the best results will be achieved using the shortest possible weld
me with increased welding current.
It is important that the ferrule grip, foot adapter and chuck are kept free from spaer build up as
this can cause stud return problems or possibly short out/bridge out the weld.
3. PISTOL ADJUSTMENTS WHEN WELDING IN THE VERTICAL OR OVERHEAD POSITIONS.
Problems may be encountered when welding in the vercal or overhead posions with a damped
pistol. To prevent problems occurring, where it is possible to do so, the damping eect should be
removed or turned o.
Welding can then connue as outlined in secons 1. and 2.
4. USING LONG CABLE LENGTHS.
Frequently the pistol must be used some distance from the nearest available mains supply, for
instance on board ship, in power staons and building construcon, in workshops building large pre
-fabricated structures etc. In these cases long lengths of welding cable are used and it must be
realised at the outset that, the longer the cables the smaller the maximum diameter of stud which
can be welded with a given power source.
To help get over this problem, if larger diameter studs are to be welded with long lengths of cable,
increase the welding cable conductor size.
Try to avoid running the pistol cables and the earth cables alongside each other as this can cause a
choking eect, reducing power. Also avoid coiling any excess cable as this will have the same eect.

V-21A
STUDWELDING TECHNIQUES
20
5. WELDING STUDS LESS THAN 25 mm LONG USING FERRULES.
As we have seen previously, the stud is held in a recess in the chuck and must be long enough to
allow us to set the correct protrusion. A standard chuck has a recess 12 mm deep and ferrules vary
in length up to 13.5 mm high. Thus if a stud is much less than 25 mm LAW we shall not be able to
obtain the correct protrusion, i.e.. The chuck may hit the ferrule on the return stroke and prevent
the stud returning to the plate correctly.
This problem may be overcome by using "shallow recess" chucks (the recess depth is only 6 mm) or
if the studs are required to be very short, by using a special type of stud known as a "break-o"
type. These studs have an overall LAW of 30 mm and are welded using a standard chuck and ferrule.
The stud is "grooved" at the required length from the welding end. Aer welding, the surplus
poron of the stud is broken o with a pair of pliers. By these means, very short studs can easily be
welded.
6. USING TEMPLATES TO ENSURE POSITIONAL ACCURACY.
When welding studs around the periphery of a ange, i.e. for cover plates, inspecon doors etc.,
posioning of the studs in relaon to each other becomes most important. A simple template made
from 2 mm sheet, shaped to suit the component and provided with clamps is usually the answer to
this problem. The posion of the studs is accurately marked and holes drilled in these posions to
accept either the ferrule of the stud to be welded or, if using short cycle, the pistol gas shroud. The
size of the holes should be the outside diameter of the ferrule / shroud +0.4 mm. It is also advisable
to provide 2 mm thick pads underneath the template so that there is a space between the
component and template, this space will allow the gases developed during welding to vent properly
from the ferrule / shroud. For any further advice or help in the design of jigging or templates
contact your local eld sales engineer.
7. MINIMUM PLATE THICKNESSES WHEN STUD WELDING.
When using standard Drawn Arc with ceramic ferrules, the minimum rao of stud diameter to plate
thickness is 4 : 1 for plate thickness greater than 3 mm and 3 : 1 for plate thickness between 1.5 mm
and 3 mm. When using the short cycle system with or without gas purging it is possible to weld
equivalent size studs onto slightly thinner secons, due to the short weld duraon. These raos
ensure that the strength of the plate is sucient to support a stud of a given size when it is loaded,
without there being a tendency for the plate to distort.
Occasionally, however, it may be necessary to weld a stud outside of these raos. This can
somemes be accomplished without distoron by "heat sinking" the component, by using a at
copper or water cooled backing piece behind the weld area, to support the plate and assist in
dissipang heat quickly.
8. WELDING STAINLESS STEEL.
Austenic stainless steel studs of the 18/8 g/N : weld decay proof type can be supplied for welding
to similar parent material or mild steel. The technique does not dier from that used for mild steel
stud welding. There is a tendency with larger diameters of stainless steel studs for metal transfer
across the arc to take the form of large parcles. If short circuits occur then the arc can be heard to
spluer. This may occur with any diameter of stainless steel stud if the li of the hand tool is not
correct. Due to this tendency to transfer in large parcles increased li may be required and me
sengs should be kept as low as possible.