| Welding with cored wires continues the drives for increased productivity with the most productive of all welding processes - submerged arc welding (SAW). Compared to solid wires, covered wires give increased weld metal deposition rates that can be exploited as:
- A reduction in the number of passes required to complete a welded joint;
- Increased welding speeds, for example in fillet welding applications.
Due to their tubular design, cored wires differ from solid wire in that at any given welding current for the same diameter the melting or burn off rate is significantly increased, with a corresponding increase in the weld metal deposition rate. This difference in deposition rates between solid and cored wires is more pronounced for the SAW process than with the gas shielded welding process because higher welding currents are used. Essentially cored wires for SAW are similar in design to those used for MIG/MAG welding. Within the ESAB product range, both metal cored and basic flux cored types are available in the size range 2.4 to 4.0mm for the welding of mild, low-temperature, high-strength, and creep resistant steels. OK Tubrod cored wires for SAW can also be used for twin wire, multi-power (tandem) as well as synergic cold wire applications.
Submerged arc welding with cored wires offers fabricators the following benefits:
- A dramatic increase in productivity compared with solid SAW. With the OK Tubrod metal cored types gains of 20% are achievable whilst with the basic flux cored types this can be up to 30%;
- The basic carbon-manganese cored wires exhibit superior mechanical properties than the standard S1 and S2 solid wires. For example, the low-temperature toughness of OK Tubrod 15.00s is maintained down to -40�C. Nickel alloyed basic types are available for service temperatures down to -60�C;
- Reduced flux consumption of approximately 15% when welding with the basic cored wires;
- Comprehensive product range to meet the most commonly welded steels.
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