It is worth mentioning right away that the technology of welding with a metal such as stainless steel is a laborious process that requires certain knowledge. Depending on the chosen technology, various electrodes for stainless steel welding will be used.
MMA Arc Welding
Today, this type is the most common method used at home. When applying this type of work, electrodes for welding stainless steel of two different types are used.
The first type of electrode, which is used for this type of welding, is the main coating. The use of this type of consumable is possible only if the work will be carried out with direct current and with reverse polarity. As the main coating for these elements, calcium carbonate or magnesium is used.
The second type of electrode for stainless steel welding has a rutile coating. Most often, they are made of a material such as nitrogen dioxide. The use of this type of elements is possible when working both with alternating current and constant with reverse polarity.
Argon arc
This welding technology is most often used if there is a need to interconnect several parts of stainless steel with a small thickness. Carrying out 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 completion of work must meet the highest requirements for product quality. This type is most widely used among welding 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. To date, argon has been selected as such a gas.
There is a small trick that will reduce the consumption of the electrode 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 stainless steel electrodes starts at about 600 rubles per set. Individual elements can be bought at a price of 70-80 rubles and above.
Semi-automatic mode
This type of stainless steel welding is most often used if it is necessary to connect 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 due to the acceleration of work. If you are wondering how to cook stainless steel with an electrode using this technology, you can familiarize yourself with argon-arc technology. These two types are almost identical, with one exception - in the semi-automatic mode, the wire is not fed manually, but mechanized.
Electrode selection
The disadvantage of stainless steel is that it welds much worse than other metals. For this reason, the choice of a welding electrode for a stainless steel is quite acute.
An element that is suitable for carrying out work of this type must meet the following requirements: have high creep resistance, expansion rates when exposed to temperature should be low, have a high elasticity number, be durable and have 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 when buying is the price of the stainless steel electrode, then it is better to purchase elements of domestic production. The quality does not differ too much, but the cost will be much lower.
GOST electrodes
GOST 10052-75 is a state document that applies to all electrodes having a metal coating, as well as those used for manual arc welding of corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant and heat-resistant high-alloy steels. Also, this document regulates all brands of elements that can be used.
GOST electrodes also sets clear requirements for the chemical composition of the weld metal and the hardness of the weld metal at normal temperature.
Stainless steel elements
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 that you need to know is the steel grade. It must be understood that in the EU, USA and CIS countries, the markings of high alloy steel are different, and this must be taken into account.
- Also, the brand of the consumable element should be selected in accordance with the thickness of the stainless steel that will be welded.
- The last important factor of choice is determining the position at which work will be carried out. This is important, since most elements are designed to work only at a certain angle.
Stainless Steel Electrode Marking
OK 63.30. This element allows you to carry out the welding process in any position. At the same time, it is characterized by average indicators, and the diameter of the expendable element is 3.2 mm.
- OK 63.41. This brand of consumables allows you to work only in the lower position. The element itself can be of different diameters, but the most common diameter is 3 mm and above.
- OK 61.30. This electrode is characterized in that its carbon content is very low. The seam, which is obtained after welding in this form, is stable in intergranular corrosion. The most common diameter of this brand is 2 mm.
It is worth saying that all of the listed brands are issued by ESAB.
Price
Of course, the first thing that determines the price of stainless steel electrodes is the manufacturing company that produces the consumable item. You can save on the purchase of this material if you purchase electrodes of a domestic manufacturer. Also, to save money, you can purchase the product directly from the manufacturer or from its online store. The most affordable are the grades of elements that are intended for welding low-carbon steel. Among foreign brands, these include: WT, ESAB, E3, WL. However, these electrodes also have Russian analogues of the following brands: EHF, EVL, EVI, EVT.
These electrodes are characterized in that they do not melt even when exposed to high temperatures, have a fairly high value of the parameter of resistance to wear, and also have a low value of expansion during exposure to temperatures.