How to Choose the Right Electrodes for Welding?

Choosing the correct welding electrode is a very important part, one cannot use the same approach to get different results. There are certain things a welder needs to pay attention to, first to choose the appropriate welding process, once the correct welding process is chosen then the appropriate welding consumable. If a welder chooses to weld from the flux-cored welding process then he cannot use the shielded metal arc welding consumables. Let’s discuss some of the best welding consumables by D&H India as they are known as the best welding rod manufacturers in India. 

If you want to weld cast iron then you should definitely think about NFM welding rods because NFM welding rod deposits high nickel weld metal for welding of cast irons. The deposit is soft and has good resistance to cracking. NFM is Ideally suited for welding cast iron to produce a machinable weld deposit. It is also suitable for repairing cracks, filling up, and surfacing applications.

If you require any hard-facing electrode then you should think of BOR-B, as it is a rutile coated electrode producing an air hardening type weld metal for hard-facing of carbon and low alloy steels. The weld metal is highly resistant to abrasive wear and has a fair degree of toughness. Ideally suited for applications in which abrasion resistance is required with a fair degree of toughness. Typical applications include brake shoes, shear blades, wheels, cams, gears, pulleys, drive sprockets, etc.

There are some precautions that should be taken: 

• Ensuring the electrodes are dry 

• Re-drying the electrodes at 150°C for one hour.

• Maintaining a short arc and avoiding weaving.

• Using suitable buffer layers and preheating, depending on the material composition and thickness.

So there are different types of electrodes according to the different metal requirements. A welder should always take care of the chemical and mechanical properties of the metal which suits according to the metal. Another important thing that a welder should consider is to buy a quality electrode that is perfectly covered with flux because the flux is an agent which helps in protecting the weld pool from getting affected by the atmospheric contaminants and helps to achieve radiographic quality weld.