The process is therefore better suited to factory manufacture, although it is used on site where effective shelters can be provided. It is also more efficient in the flat and horizontal positions; welds in other positions are deposited with lower voltage and amperage parameters and are more prone to fusion defects. The advantage of using these wires is that higher deposition rates can be used, particularly when welding in the vertical position (between two vertical faces) or the overhead position. The presence of thin slag assists in overcoming gravity and enables welds to be deposited in position with relatively high current and voltage, thus reducing the possibility of fusion- type defects. Flux additions also influence the weld chemistry and thus enhance the mechanical properties of the joint.
Alternating current transformers, DC rectifiers or inverters supply electrical power along a cable to an electrode holder or tongs. A flux coated wire electrode (or . The electrode melts at the tip into a molten pool, which fuses with the parent material forming the weld. The flux also melts, forming a protective slag and generating a gas shield to prevent contamination of the weld pool as it solidifies.
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Flux additions and the electrode core are used to influence the chemistry and the mechanical properties of the weld. It is essential to store and handle these electrodes in accordance with the consumable manufacturer’s recommendations in order to preserve their low hydrogen characteristics. This is achieved either by using drying ovens and heated quivers to store and handle the product, or by purchasing electrodes in sealed packages specifically designed to maintain low hydrogen levels. Nevertheless, it remains the main process for site welding and for difficult access areas where bulky equipment is unsuitable. The process feeds a continuous wire via a contact tip, where it makes electrical contact with the power from the rectifier, into the weld area, where it arcs and forms a molten pool.
The weld pool is submerged by flux fed from a hopper. The flux immediately covering the molten weld pool melts, forming a slag and protecting the weld during solidification; surplus flux is collected and re- cycled. As the weld cools, the slag freezes and peels away, leaving high quality, good profile welds.
This also means that personal protection requirements are less.