It should immediately be said that the technology ofWelding with a metal such as stainless steel is a laborious process that requires certain knowledge. Depending on the technology chosen, various electrodes for welding stainless steel will be used.
MMA arc welding
Today, this type is the mostcommon method used at home. When using this type of work, electrodes are used for welding stainless steel of two different types.
The first type of electrodes that is used toThis type of welding is a basic coating. The use of this type of consumable material is possible only if the work will be carried out with a constant current and with reverse polarity. Calcium carbonate or magnesium is used as the main coating for these elements.
The second type of electrodes for welding stainless steelhas a rutile coating. Most often they are made from a material such as nitrogen dioxide. The use of this type of elements is possible when working with both alternating current and constant with reverse polarity.
Argon arc
This welding technology is most commonly used.in the event that there is a need to connect with each other several parts of stainless steel with a small thickness. Work with this type of tool involves the use of tungsten electrodes for welding stainless steel. It is also worth noting that the products obtained after the completion of the work must meet the highest requirements for product quality. This type found the most widespread among welding of gas, water and exhaust pipes made of stainless steel. It is also important to note that the technology of using this type of welding implies the presence of protective welding gases. Today, argon is selected as such a gas.
Есть небольшая хитрость, которая позволит снизить electrode consumption during operation. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to continue supplying argon for the next 12-15 seconds after the completion of the welding process. This is quite relevant, since the price of electrodes for stainless steel starts from about 600 rubles per set. Separate elements can be bought at the price of 70-80 rubles and above.
Semi-automatic mode
This type of stainless steel welding is most oftenit is used in case it is necessary to interconnect metal parts with a large thickness. The connection of these parts with wire is the most optimal, since it allows you to increase the productivity of the process by accelerating the work. If you ask yourself how to cook a stainless steel electrode using this technology, you can get acquainted with argon-arc technology. These two types are almost identical, with one exception - in semi-automatic mode, the wire is not fed manually, but mechanized.
Electrode selection
The minus of stainless steel is that it welds much worse than other metals. For this reason, the choice of welding electrode for stainless steel is quite sharp.
Элемент, который подходит для проведения работ of this type, must meet the following requirements: have a high creep resistance, the expansion performance when exposed to temperature should be low, have a high number of elasticity, be durable and have a high thermal conductivity. Electrodes that meet all these requirements are made of tungsten, and their cross section is in the range from 3 to 5 mm. In the Russian Federation, the most common manufacturer of these consumables is ESAB. However, it is worth noting that if the main issue with the purchase is in the price of the electrode on a stainless steel, then it is better to purchase items of domestic production. The quality is not very different, but the cost will be much lower.
GOST 10052-75 is a government documentwhich applies to all electrodes with a metal coating, as well as corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant and heat-resistant high-alloy steels used for manual arc welding. This document also regulates all brands of elements that can be used.
GOST electrodes also set clear requirements for the chemical composition of the weld metal and hardness of the weld metal at normal temperature.
Items for stainless steel
In order to choose the right electrode for welding, it is very important to know several of the following parameters:
- The first and most important indicator thatyou need to know - this is a steel grade. It is necessary to understand that in the EU, the USA and the CIS countries the marking of high-alloyed steel is different, and this must be taken into account.
- Also, the grade of the consumable element should be selected in accordance with the thickness of stainless steel that will be welded.
- The last important factor of choice is the determination of the position at which work will be carried out. This is important because most of the elements are designed to work only at a certain angle.
Marking of electrodes on stainless steel
OK 63.30. This element allows the welding process in any position. It is characterized by averages, and the diameter of the consumable element is 3.2 mm.
- OK 63.41. This brand of consumables allows you to work only in the lower position. The element itself may be of different diameters, but the most common diameter is 3 mm and more.
- OK 61.30.This electrode is characterized by the fact that its carbon content is very low. The seam, which is obtained after welding with this type, is stable in intergranular corrosion. The most common diameter of this brand is 2 mm.
It is worth saying that all listed brands are produced by the company "ESAB".
Price
Of course, the first depends on the price.stainless steel electrodes is a manufacturer that manufactures a consumable item. It is possible to save on the purchase of this material if you purchase electrodes from a domestic manufacturer. Also, to save money, you can purchase the product directly from the manufacturer or from its online store. The most acceptable at prices are those brands of elements that are intended for welding steel with a low carbon content. From foreign brands to them can be attributed such as: WT, ESAB, E3, WL. However, these electrodes also have Russian analogs of the following brands: EVCH, EVL, EVI, EVT.
These electrodes are characterized by the fact that they do notthey melt even when exposed to high temperatures, have a rather high value of the parameter of resistance to wear, and also have a low expansion value during exposure to temperatures.
