Flux core -G has the ability to lay down metal at a really fast rate. Other gases, such as a CO2/Argon blends are also used, but one advantage of FCAW-G is that low cost CO2 can be used to shield the weld.Īnother benefit of gas shielded flux core is the high deposition rate that can be achieved with the combination of flux and gas. One of the most common gases used to shield Flux core is pure CO2. The cylinders contain gas under extremely high pressure, and a device called a regulator brings the gas to a useable pressure. The high-pressure gas cylinders used for this process are of the same design as those used in MIG and TIG welding.

This can be a real advantage in some applications.Įlectrodes designed to be gas-shielded rely on a secondary shielding gas to do the job of protecting the molten weld. Also, self-shielded electrodes are less sensitive to drafts and breezes that easily contaminate gas-shielded processes like MIG welding. One advantage of the self-shielded Flux core process is that the added cost and inconvenience of gas shielding equipment are eliminated.

The flux in these electrodes creates a protective cloud that prevents gases like nitrogen and oxygen from reacting with the hot metal. You need to be sure you are using wire in the way it was designed to be used because the chemistry behind these two processes is different.įlux Cored electrodes that are designed to be self-shielded contain a flux that completely protects the molten weld pool. In a self-shielded flux core, the weld is protected by the flux itself, and in a gas shielded flux core the shielding comes from a high-pressure cylinder. There are two main types of flux core arc welding: Self-shielded (known as FCAW-S) and Gas shielded (which is FCAW-G). The metal in the parts to be joined is called the “base metal” and the metal that comes from the melting wire electrode is called “filler metal.”Because the wire electrode melts as it is being used, the Flux Core wire is called a “consumable electrode.” Flux core welding always adds filler metal to the joint. These metals mix together and solidify to join the workpieces into a single piece. This is different from the smooth rollers used with solid MIG welding wire(FIG A9)Īs in MIG welding, an electric arc forms between this wire electrode and the workpiece and heats both metals above their melting point.

Usually, this wire feeder requires knurled rollers that can grip the tubular wire without flattening or damaging it. In flux cored welding, the wire electrode is fed through a wire feed unit. Based on the production method and the physical structure of the product, this type of welding wire is divided into the two general types:Īll flux core welding is done on equipment that is similar to (and sometimes identical to) the equipment used in MIG or Gas Metal Arc Welding. The first raw material of the Flux cored welding wire is the strip, the second one is a mixture of different powders that are placed inside the strip. The American Welding Society calls this process “Flux Cored Arc Welding” or FCAW. Flux-cored is an arc welding process that uses a tubular wire electrode with a flux-filled inner core.

Flux core welding wire