EVALUATION OF STUD WELDING SYSTEM FOR ALUMINUM HIGHWAY SIGNS

WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT SIGN PANELS HAD FALLEN AS A RESULT OF STUD OR STUD WELD FAILURE THIS PROJECT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO FIND A MEANS OF WELDING A HIGH STRENGTH STUD TO THE 6061-T6 ALUMINUM SHEETS. THE DESIGN OF THE STUD WAS CHANGED TO ELIMINATE THE "NOTCH" EFFECT AT THE BASE OF THE STUD AFTER WILDING AND A PNEUMATIC GUN WELDING SYSTEM MANUFACTURED BY K. S. M. WELDING SYSTEMS WAS USED TO WELD TEST SPECIMENS. THIS SYSTEM WAS EVALUATED BY PHYSICAL TEST INCLUDING TENSILE STRENGTH, TORQUE TESTS, AND TORQUE-TENSION TESTS AND MACROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF THE WELDS TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF STUD PENETRATION, THE PRESENCE OF ANY POROSITY IN THE WELD, AND THE AMOUNT OF WELD METAL. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THIS SYSTEM YIELDED WELDS OF SUPERIOR STRENGTH THAN THAT OF THE PREVIOUSLY USED SYSTEM, AND THAT SOME DEGREE OF LATITUDE IN THE CONTROL SETTINGS COULD BE TOLERATED WITHOUT SACRIFICING WELD STRENGTH. /FHWA/

• Corporate Authors:

  Maryland Department of Transportation

  State Highway Administration, 707 N Calvert Street
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21202
• Authors:
  • Weisner, J P
• Publication Date: 1973-4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aluminum; Evaluation; Machines; Pneumatic equipment; Strength of materials; Studs; Tensile strength; Tools; Torque; Traffic signs; Welding
• Old TRIS Terms: Pneumatic tools; Welding machines
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216009
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Maryland Department of Transportation
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 16 1974 12:00AM