Flux cored wire was developed in the early 1950's, but it was not until 1957 that it became commercially available. This method can be said to be a combination of the advantages of submerged arc welding and CO2 welding (refers to the solid), the flux encapsulated in the wire and protected by the periphery of CO2 gas can produce a softer and more stable arc when welding and low spatter as its characteristics.
At the beginning of development, only large wire (2.0-4.0mm) was available for flat and horizontal welding of major workpieces. It was not until 1972 that the development of small wire sizes began to greatly expand the field of flux cored wire use.
Self-shielded flux-cored wire was developed soon after the introduction of gas-shielded flux-cored wire and was soon widely recognized by industry for specific applications.
Flux cored wire melting speed, high efficiency, beautiful welding seam, welding operation is convenient, continuous welding, welding efficiency than manual welding rod 3 to 5 times higher, welding costs than the electrode 30 ~ 70% lower, with flux cored wire instead of manual welding rod is an effective way to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Flux cored wire welding operation skills requirements are also lower than the manual welding rod, the equipment only requires ordinary carbon dioxide welding machine, carbon dioxide gas welding has become very popular, from the point of view of equipment versatility and recruitment and training of welders, the use of flux cored wire instead of manual welding rod is also convenient and effective and feasible.
The manufacturing process of flux cored wire is very carefully controlled, as the molten filler metal comes from the steel skin and the composition of the flux, the size and chemical composition need to be checked in detail before manufacturing to ensure quality.
As the space inside the welding material is restricted, the size of the flux particles becomes more and more important, and the particles form a bird's nest like combination together, and the flux composition elements are not uniform.
The majority of flux cored wires consist of a flat sheet of metal rolled section by section into a U-shaped section, with the flux particles filled in the U-shaped metal grooves and then rolled in a final sealed roll step to tightly press the flux into the tubular wire, The rolled wire then undergoes a series of pulling actions to become the final required wire diameter. This pulling action also allows the filled flux to be evenly fixed in the wire skin.
The manufacturing process is critical to the quality of flux cored wire production in order not to form a hollow wire (no flux) due to poor control of the wire. In addition, the surface of the wire must be smooth and clean, otherwise it will affect the smoothness of wire feeding and the transmission of welding current. The wire is packaged in rolls or drums to avoid tangling or breakage of the wire. Usually the rolls of wire are wrapped in a plastic sleeve and a desiccant is placed to avoid moisture in the material.
The above information is provided by self-shielded flux cored wire supplier.
