The Ultimate Guide
When it comes to welding, having so much choice can be overwhelming. Knowing which auto-darkening helmet to buy, which gear will be the most protective, or even which metal to use are all decisions which you’ll have to make. Beginners only really need to consider a few basic factors, but once you’ve gotten up and running and gained more experience, you’ll need to understand the more in-depth elements of your equipment.This is a copper coating on the electrode and there are different types too. MIG Wire Electrode Label Meaning for a ER70S-6 Label Stainless Steel MIG Welding Electrode Selection and Choices. MIG welding stainless steel has a variety of electrodes because it is used on a wide range of projects that require different types of stainless steel. Mainly used for welding AISI 316L & 317L- type stainless steel, other uses are in fertilizer plants, petrochemical Industries, chemical plants, textile, paper pulp, paint and dye Industries etc. Suitable for welding AISI 317 stainless steel. Other uses are welding of hard to weld carbon steels to one another or to stainless steel. 308-16-532-10 $65.005/32 10 lb Pack 308 electrodes are used to weld unstabilized 18-8 stainless steels such as Types 301, 302, 304. 308 electrodes provide corrosion resistance and physical.
Being able to differentiate between the types of welding rods – and being aware of their strengths, weaknesses, and best uses – is just one of those features which have a huge impact on the strength and quality of your welds. In order to help you get to grips with this complex subject, we’ve put together the ultimate guide covering all welding rod types.
What is the welding rod?
The welding rod is the piece of wire connected to the welding machine. A current is fed through this wire, which helps to join two pieces of metal together firmly.
In certain cases – namely SMAW and stick welders – the wires actually melt, becoming part of the weld itself. These welding rods are referred to as consumable electrodes. For TIG welding, the welding rods do not melt, so are called non-consumable electrodes. Within both of these groups, there are many different variations and types, which will be covered in more detail later.
Welding rods are usually coated, although the materials that make up this coating can vary widely. Bare electrodes (those made without any additional coatings) are also available, although they’re much less common. These are used for certain specific jobs, such as welding manganese steel.
It is important to choose the right type of welding rod for your job in order to create clean, strong welds with excellent bead quality.
Consumable electrodes
As mentioned previously, stick welders usually use consumable welding rods, which will be referred to as stick electrodes here. These include light coated electrodes, as well as shielded arc or heavy coated electrodes.
As the name suggests, light coated electrodes have been finished with a thin coating which has been applied by techniques such as brushing and spraying. This is usually made up of a combination of several different materials, which are likely to be similar to the metals which you are welding together.
The arc streams created when using bare rods can be difficult to control, so if your job allows it then using a light coated electrode increases the arc stability. This will make your life quicker and easier.
However, that is not the only purpose behind having a light coating on the welding rods. Other benefits of using light coated electrodes are that impurities such as oxides and sulfur are reduced (or eliminated altogether), the drops of metal at the end of the welding rods are more regular in both size and frequency – meaning that your welds are smoother and neater – and they only produce a thin slag.
Shielded arc electrodes are similar to light coated electrodes, except for the fact that they have a heavy coating. Due to their tougher, heavy duty nature, they are better suited to applications such as welding cast iron.
There are three different types of coating applied to shielded arc electrodes, which each have different results during the welding process. Firstly, there are those with coatings containing cellulose, which uses a layer of gas to protect the weld zone; the coatings on the second type include mineral substances, which leave a layer of slag. The third type of coating on shielded arc electrodes is made up of a combination of cellulose and minerals.
Shielded arc electrodes which form a layer of gas are ideal because they act as a highly effective protective barrier, resulting in strong welds. The weld pool needs to be protected from certain atmospheric gasses (namely oxygen and nitrogen), which affect the welds and make them weak, porous and brittle. This protection can either be given through the use of a coated welding rod, or through a blast of gas which can separate the weld pool from the air (as described in the cellulose-coated shielded arc electrodes).
Just like light coated electrodes, shielded arc electrodes reduce oxides, sulfur and other impurities in the metal, leaving clean, smooth, regular welds. In addition, the weld arcs created by these welding rods are much easier to control than bare electrodes, which are prone to causing lots of spatter.
It might seem like a hassle if you opt for a mineral-coated shielded arc electrode which forms a slag, but, in fact, this slag can have a beneficial effect. It cools slowly – much slower than cellulose-coated shielded arc electrodes – which draws impurities up to the surface. As a result, you’ll end up with high-quality welds which are strong, durable and clean.
The shielded arc electrode welding process
One question that many customers ask these days seems to be,“What is the correct Tungsten Electrode to use for my application?”
Selecting the right tungsten is crucial to a successful TIG weld. You have to ensure the correct tungsten is used for the right type of power source, material to be welded, and the thickness of the material. With so many different types of tungsten electrodes available, learning how to properly select the correct tungsten for each application can greatly improve weld performance as well as saving time and money.
Below are some of the most commonly produced tungsten welding electrodes for TIG DC, TIG-AC, and Plasma welding:
2% THORIATED (RED) EWTh-2/WT20
Principal Oxide: 1.7–2.2% Thorium Oxide
Radioactive. Best for use in direct current (d/c) applications using transformer based constant current power sources. Best for use on non corroding steels, titanium alloys, nickel alloys, copper alloys. Good d/c arc starts and stability, medium erosion rate, medium amperage range, medium tendency to spit.
0.8% ZIRCONIATED (WHITE) EWZr-8/WZ8
Principal Oxide: 0.7– 0.9% Zirconium Oxide
Non-Radioactive. Best for use in alternating current (a/c) for aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys using inverter or transformer based constant current power sources. Balls well, handles higher amperage than pure tungsten with less spitting, better arc starts and arc stability than pure tungsten.
1.5% LANTHANATED (GOLD) EWLa-1.5/WL15
Ss Electrodes Types Meaning
Principal Oxide: 1.3 –1.7% Lanthanum Oxide
Non-Radioactive. Best for use in direct current (d/c) as an alternative to 2% thoriated using inverter or transformer based constant current power sources. Best for non corroding steels, titanium alloys, nickel alloys, copper alloys. Best d/c arc starts and stability, low erosion rate, wide amperage range, no spitting.
2% CERIATED (GREY) (Formerly Orange) EWCe-2/WC20
Principal Oxide: 1.8–2.2% Cerium Oxide
Non-Radioactive. Best for use in alternating current (a/c) or direct current (d/c) applications using inverter or transformer based constant current power sources. Good for low-alloyed steels, non corroding steels, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, titanium alloys, nickel alloys, copper alloys. Good ignition and re-ignition properties, long service life, excellent arc stability. Low erosion rate, best at low amperage range, no spitting, good d/c arc starts and stability.
PURE (GREEN) EWP/WP
Ss Electrodes Types 2
Principal Oxide: None
Non-Radioactive. Contains 99.50% tungsten. Good for use in alternating current (a/c) for aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys in low to medium amperage applications using transformer based constant current power sources only. Balls easy, tends to spit at higher amperages. Used for non-critical welds only.
2% LANTHANTED (BLUE) EWLa-2/WL20
Principal Oxide: 1.8 – 2.2% Lanthanum Oxide
Non-Radioactive. Best general purpose electrode for both alternating current (a/c) or direct current (d/c) using inverter or transformer based constant current power sources. Good for low-alloyed steels, non corroding steels, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, titanium alloys, nickel alloys, copper alloys. Good arc starts and stability, medium to high amperage range, low erosion rate.
LayZr™ (CHARTREUSE) EWG
Principal Oxides: 1.5% Lanthanum, 0.08% Zirconium, 0.08% Yttrium Oxides
Non-Radioactive. Best for automated or robotic applications in alternating current (a/c) or direct current (d/c) due to low voltage tolerance (changes in tip to work piece distance) using inverter or transformer based constant current power sources. Good for low-alloyed steels, non corroding steels, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, titanium alloys, nickel alloys, copper alloys. very stable tip geometry, runs cooler than 2% thoriated with longer life, low to medium amperage range. very best low amperage starts
Tungsten Preparation
Classification Of Electrode
Depending on the type of tungsten electrode, preparation of the tungsten consists of eithera balled, pointed, or truncated shape.A balled tip is most commonly used on a pure tungsten electrode and is suggested for use with the AC process on sine wave and conventional Square Wave TIG welders. To properly ball the end of the tungsten, apply the AC amperage recommended for the electrode diameter and the ball on the end of the tungsten will form itself. The diameter of the balled end should not exceed 1.5 times the diameter of the electrode (for example, a 1/8-in. electrode should form a 3/16-in. diameter end), as having a larger sphere at the tip of the electrode can reduce arc stability and/or fall off and contaminate the weld.
Ph Electrode Types
In any application, the type and shape of tungsten you use helps determine the arc quality and welding performance you will achieve. Each of the above types of tungsten will bring certain advantages and disadvantages. That’s why, regardless of type of material or process you are using to TIG weld,it is always important to be wise when choosing the tungsten for your application. With anything, it takes time to learn how to prepare and select tungsten electrodes for the application you are using.
By following the above and with some practice, you will be able to learn how to pick the best tungsten electrode for your application and proper tungsten preparation.