Resistance welding tool for the aerospace industry

Citation

(2007), "Resistance welding tool for the aerospace industry", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779bad.010

Resistance welding tool for the aerospace industry

Resistance welding tool for the aerospace industry

Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Limited has released for sale the new Swivel Head Force Gauge (Figure 3), specifically designed for measuring the force between the electrodes in resistance welders used in many welding applications in the aerospace industry.

The force between the electrodes in resistance welding a critical parameter required to ensure a good weld. Many resistance welds, particularly in the Aerospace industry for example, are life dependent joints and have to be made with the highest quality control methods available.

The force between the electrodes will vary during production welding for a number of reasons, amongst which is wear on the resistance welding equipment, worn seals, variable factory air pressure, electrical drives going out of calibration and so on.

This new model replaces the old fixed head resistance welding force gauge as well as the old swivel head version and combines the features of both models into one gauge at a much more attractive price while retaining the rugged construction and ease of use that is necessary for this kind of tool.

The new all in one model measures force from 0-1,000kg with ranges changeable between kg, N, and lb. The swivelling and rotating head assembly allows easy access to weld electrode configurations in tight spaces.

This tough but lightweight hand tool weighs only 1,085g and has a safety handle to prevent operator injury in the event that electrodes are misaligned.

A wrist strap is provided in the event that the gauge is inadvertently released by the operator, to prevent the gauge from being dropped.

The large target pads allow easy access by electrodes up to 20mm diameter and virtually all configurations of electrodes can be accommodated.

This new HFT gauge is classed as accurate to 0.2 percent of reading that equates to a possible error of 2kg at full scale.

It also has an automatic peak hold facility to retain and hold the peak force measurement thus enabling the reading to be retrieved if the large LCD screen was not visible to the operator at the time the test was made.

Other features include two mounting positions for the safety handle, a facility for the operator to zero the gauge with one press of a button, replaceable insulated target pads, a rechargeable battery in an easily removed tray, a smart and rugged carrying case, a 110-220V battery charger and a calibration certificate.

Figure 3 Swivel head force gauge

Details available from: Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Limited, Tel: þ44 (0) 1554 836 836, Fax: +44 (0) 1554 836 837, e-mail: hft@huntingdonfusion.com, web site: www.huntingdonfusion.com