Fabricators utilize various equipment and techniques to produce the desired result. Although fabricating shops in Cleveland have access to a variety of tools, when it comes to welding, they often turn to the basic and familiar. For some, this is TIG welding or MIG welding. Others prefer spot welding.
What Is Spot Welding?
Welding is a process that firmly unites two or more overlapping metal or non-metal pieces. The only tools it requires are heat and pressure. The former softens the material; the latter forces the joining together to produce the single entity required. In welding, welding types are distinguished by their source of heat and/or the specific purpose or the technique. In spot welding, the heat source is an electric current. Electrodes exert the pressure ensuring the different pieces stay together.
Advantages of Spot Welding
This method of welding does have its advantages when employed with specific types of sheet metal as well as wire mesh or welded wire mesh. It provides the weld with an excellent durability and strength. It is also one of the better methods to employ when the finished piece requires a flush surface. Moreover, the available configurations make it suitable for employing for most applications.
Configurations
A spot welder is obtainable in different configurations. This makes it suitable for diverse situations and demands. The variations include:
* Suspended machines
* Floor models
* Foot-operated models
* Air-operated models
Models range from manual to automatic to robotic. This provides options that are affordable for companies starting out or those that are well established.
Applications
A spot welder can apply this method to a variety of industrial applications. The most common use of this form of welding has always been the automotive industry. Spot welding is the chosen technique for welding sheet metal that forms the body of the car. Spot welds, generally using robotics, joins the metal to produce doors, hoods and tailgates.
In fact, resistance spot welding has been the standard in the industry since it first came into use in the 1930s. While automotive fabrication is the best-known use, it is not the sole application. Spot welders perform other tasks in lesser-known tasks including:
* Orthodontics: Resizing metal “molar bands”
* Batteries: Welds thin nickel straps to nickel–cadmium or nickel–metal hydride cells to make batteries.
* Steel decks: Arc spot (puddle) welds are used to install the decks
For all applications, the welder needs to take the proper precautions and prepare the material in advance. The material must be free of all contaminants and impurities to ensure the production of good welds.
Spot Welding
Spot welding is a technique that appears simple. Yet, like so many types of welding, it is very important to understand the variables involved. Since its adoption in the 1930s by the automotive industry, this form of welding has risen to be considered the standard. With tis capabilities to perform tight, strong welds, spot welding may continue to be a preferred method for many welders.
