Types of welding rods

Welding rods are used in a welding machine to weld two metals together. Welding normally revolves around joining together two pieces of metal by melting a filler metal. There are three main kinds of welding rods that vary in the application method.

Consumable electrodes:

The idea of consumable electrodes is that they melt while welding. That's why they have a low melting point. They need constant replacement. They are commonly used because they are inexpensive and they are simple to use. Welding consumables are available in different materials. Welding consumables manufacturers and suppliers make different kinds of consumable electrodes. They can be bare, covered. Furthermore, they can be distinguished into light, medium and heavily coated electrodes.

Bare electrodes: There is absolutely no coating of any kind. Bare electrodes are mainly made of steel or aluminum alloys.

Light coated electrodes: The coating factor here is only 1.25 if you are dividing the diameter of the electrode by the diameter of the core wire.

Medium coated electrodes: The coating factor here increases to 1.45. Overcord electrodes mainly have this coating factor.

Heavily coated electrodes: The coating factor in a heavily coated electrode is 1.6 to 2.2. An example of a heavily coated electrode is the Citofin electrode.

Flux electrodes:

Flux electrodes are pretty similar to consumables but they have a flux coating. A flux coating creates a gas when burnt that shields the weld area from gases in the atmosphere. Flux cored wire suppliers in India guarantee a very smooth weld by this method. Flux cored wire suppliers have various kinds of flux coatings.

Non-consumable electrodes:

Unlike consumable electrodes, non-consumable electrodes do nor melt, that is, are not consumed. So they last way more than consumables. They are obviously made of metals that have a very high melting point. For example, Carbon and tungsten have high melting points- 6700 degrees F and 6150 degrees F respectively.

It isn’t as commonly used as consumables because it is tricky to use. However, they are known to be used in welding a wide range of metals. Since it doesn’t melt to join the two metal parts, it needs a filler metal to do just that. They are also called refractory electrodes.

Materials that are used in the welding rods range from steel to aluminium. Steel and its alloys are the most common ones used. Aluminum welding rods are used for joining aluminium pieces while bronze is used for joining copper parts. Composite welding rods have two or more materials in them to provide a strong weld.

When choosing what welding technique and metal is suitable for you, always look at the welding rod number. The first two digits of this number indicate the strength it can sustain.

Also, Read - Introduction to thermal spraying

Welding electrodes suppliers often advise users to be absolutely sure on what kind of electrode they should be using for their purpose. Be sure to know what equipment is the better equipment for you and never compromise on safety measures. Happy welding!