Welding Equipment & Products

When it comes to stud welding, precision and repeatability are essential. PFS carries a number of high-quality, stable, and reliable ProWeld and HBS* arc stud welders and add Midwest Fastening capacitor discharge stud welders—all of which are guaranteed to get the job done.

ARC Stud Welders

The arc stud welder is the stud welder typically utilized within the offshore, shipbuilding, and steel fabrication industries. Arc stud welders require a 208, 240, 480, and 560 single-phase or three-phase AC or DC power source with open circuit-voltage in the range of 70 to 100V. Arc stud welders are designed to weld studs from 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) through 1 1/4 in. (31.8 mm) using ceramic ferrules or gas.

Arc stud welding involves the same basic principles and metallurgical aspects as any other arc welding procedure: the weld gun lifts the stud a short distance from the base metal and initiates a controlled electric arc from the power source, melting the end of the stud and a portion of the base metal; the stud is thrust automatically into a ceramic ferrule, which contains the molten metal; and a high quality fusion weld is accomplished.

Arc stud welding is generally used to weld larger-diameter studs to thick base metals. Arc studs come in many shapes, and there are literally hundreds of kinds—as long as one end of the stud is designed to be compatible with an arc welder and is made of weldable materials (mild steel, stainless steel, or aluminum), it can used for arc stud welding.

CD Stud Welders

Capacitor discharge stud welders, which can be useful when working with thin base metals, require 110V single-phase power. The power for the weld is produced by a rapid discharge of stored electrical energy; the method uses an electrostatic storage system as a power source, and the weld energy is stored in capacitors. No ferrules or fluxing is required.

For more details on the numerous Pro Weld and HBS arc stud welders and capacitor discharge welders we carry here at PFS, browse through the options below.

*HBS stud welding equipment is available through PFS only for customers in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.

HBS Partner

In keeping with our mission to provide our customers with only top-quality stud welding equipment, PFS recently partnered with HBS – a company whose name within the offshore, shipbuilding, and steel fabrication industries is synonymous with excellence. We are proud to now be able to offer our customers* an even greater variety of state-of-the-art stud welding guns.