Strange title? 😊
But you will realise that it is not strange in the following parts of the article.
It is one of the products that will bring a breath of fresh air to the welding industry. In fact, this is a term that has existed in the international market for a long time and is only valid for products used for hardfacing in our country. However, the subject of this article will be wires that are produced for joining purposes and do not require additional protective gas, rather than wires used for coating purposes.
Many years ago, a hobbyist customer asked us about this product, which was not in the product range of any manufacturer in Turkey at that time. As a result, our meeting ended without being able to offer a solution to this customer who came from abroad and spent his holiday here while welding. Nowadays, rutile electrode in the sector has become a product that almost every welder master is looking for. The reason is actually simple; ‘speed’ that we encounter in every business field.
Because technology brought this. It will be cliché, but think about the journey from letter to whatsapp, the same situation has affected all our ways of doing business. If we return to the source and give an example from here, we will reach the same point. For example, the product known as 6013 by some, iron electrode by some, rutile electrode by others, is the most used product by all our iron joinery, wrought iron, roofing, indoor installation etc. craftsmen. When you buy 1 kg of this product, the welding metal you will obtain to join two materials does not exceed 650gr if you use the cob to the end 😁
On top of that, there is the work of inserting and removing that rod into the pliers every 35cm. Each time you have to ask the apprentice for the electrode. The electrode sticks to the material, there is to save it, so there is and there is. This flux-cored wire, known as ‘gas-free’, will gradually replace this type of electrode in our country in the near future.
It can be used with a standard gas welding machine or with compact, smaller, non-gas machines specially designed for this purpose. Of course, there is an important point here, most of them are generally used in reverse polarity. In other words, when you are doing a standard gas welding (GMAW / MIG / MAG / FCAW), the torch is in + polarity, while your chassis is in - polarity. In this type of cored wires, ‘generally’ the opposite is the case, so it is important that you pay attention to the polarity information recommended by the manufacturer, make the necessary adjustments and use them in order to avoid frustration when using these wires.
Let's talk a little bit about their advantages. These products are usually offered to the market in 1 / 5 / 15kg spools. If we give the electrode example I mentioned above for this. When you buy 1kg of this wire, the welding metal you will get will be between 800-900gr. In other words, it means that you will turn the wire you pay for into welding metal at a rate of 80-90% (I specified a range because this varies according to the formulation and core content of the manufacturer). You will not have losses such as throwing a cob every 35cm, asking for an electrode from the apprentice; so use the spool until it runs out. Let's come to the question in the title. There are such strange perceptions and questions circulating in the market that do not ask. There are many urban legends ranging from the fact that there is no need for additional gas protection because there is gas in the wire, that you should consume it immediately after opening the wire, or even that you should candle the exposed end if you are not going to use it. As I mentioned, these are completely urban legends and well-known mistakes. The reason why such products do not need additional gas is that the mixture we call the essence in it creates a protective environment that will prevent gases such as oxygen, which are in the air during welding and are undesirable for welding, from penetrating the welding metal. In other words, while you burn that wire, the core inside creates a completely isolated environment around the weld metal. In fact, all of this is a sign of how much accurate information and marketing is needed.
To summarise, self-shielded flux cored wires provide both cost advantages and speed up work processes by offering the opportunity to weld without the need for additional shielding gas. These wires, which are becoming increasingly popular in our country, provide and will continue to provide great convenience especially in small and medium-sized workshops, field works and hobby use. It is an ideal solution for users who want to get rid of the difficulties and costs of using additional gas. With the innovations brought by technology, the welding industry is evolving, and self-shielded flux cored wires stand out as an important part of this evolution. In the future, it seems inevitable that it will become more widespread and become one of the indispensable tools of our welding masters.
Thanks to the author
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