Welding wire

Solid cross-section welding wire is used for automatic and semi-automatic welding, and also goes to the manufacture of electrodes and filler rods.
The chemical composition and diameter of the wire for welding steels are regulated by standards: DSTU EN ISO 14341, DSTU EN ISO 14343, DSTU EN ISO 16834, GOST 2246-70. The wire for surfacing is issued according to GOST 10543-75, a wire from aluminum and alloys - according to DSTU EN ISO 18273; GOST 7871-75. Welding wire is available in the following diameters (mm) - 0.8; 1.0; 1.2; 1.4; 1.6; 2.0; 2.5; 3.0; 4.0; 5.0; 6.0. The wire is supplied in skeins or spools. Currently, the world produces about 140 brands of welding wire of solid cross section. They are designed for different welding methods and different welding materials.

Welding wire is divided into types according to the main features, which include such parameters as the structure of the rod, chemical composition and the presence of alloying elements. According to these features, we can distinguish three main groups of welding wire:

• low carbon welding wire;
• welding wire with low content of alloying elements;
• welding wire with a high content of alloying components.

These three groups are divided into subspecies by wire structure. For various welding processes can be used as a surfacing flux-cored wire, and steel or copper-plated welding wire.

Flux cored welding wire is used almost everywhere where flux welding of critical parts that are subject to high loads during operation is required. By means of a powder surfacing welding wire all production operations on connection of metal details from carbon steels are carried out. Products that are processed using a semi-automatic method of welding using flux-cored wire in the future can withstand the effects of high temperatures and pressures. The surfacing powder welding wire is issued in various diameters, from 3 to 6 millimeters.

Steel welding wire is used for welding low-alloy steel. It is best to use a copper-plated welding wire for this purpose. Steel welding wire with non-copper-plated surface is used for welding alloy steels and low-carbon metals. The diameter of the uncoated welding wire can be from 0.8 to 6 millimeters. Copperplated welding wire often has a diameter of 0.8 to 1.6 millimeters.