Storage and Handling of Welding Consumables PDF
Storage and Handling of Welding Consumables PDF
Storage and Handling of Welding Consumables PDF
2
Environmental
care - sound welds
Disposal
The majority of the packaging used
ESAB is one of the few international companies with a
global ISO 14001 certification. Every ESAB product is by ESAB are designed for
produced to the same environmental standard with every environmental friendly recycling.
step taken to minimise environmental impact, from the Any product, residue (slag),
cradle to the grave.
disposable container, liner or other
The broad range of consumables packaging should be disposed of in
sold by ESAB are manufactured an environmentally acceptable
under a strict ISO 9001 quality manner, in full compliance with
assurance programme. Moreover, federal and local regulations.
with IS0 14001 worldwide Please address your local disposal
certification, the company’s high company for prescribed disposal.
quality consumables are preferred by Information on product and
industries for their ability to minimise residues are given in the Safety
welding defects. Special packaging, Data Sheets available through
such as Marathon PacTM and www.esab.com.
VacPacTM has also been developed
to make handling even more rational
for the customer.
3
Quality of welds. indicative of a large amount of gas
Porosity is formed by entrapment of being formed, which is then trapped
discrete pockets of gas in the in the solidifying weld metal.
solidifying weld pool. The gas may Hydrogen is also a contribution to
originate from poor gas shielding, cracks in welds or the HAZ.
surface contaminants such as Hydrogen in combination with
moisture, rust or grease, or residual tensile stresses and crack
insufficient deoxidants in the parent sensitive steels can cause cold
metal, electrode or filler wire. A cracking several hours or days after
particularly severe form of porosity welding. High strength steels and
is ‘wormholes’, caused by gross constructions with high levels of
surface contamination or welding residual tension are more sensitive
with damp electrodes. to hydrogen cracking. For these
Characteristically, wormholes are applications ESAB recommend
elongated pores which produce a using methods and consumables
herring bone appearance on the that give low hydrogen levels
radiograph. Wormholes are together with adequate procedures
Marathon Pac is folded flat after use for mimimal disposal space.
4
for pre-heating, work temperature condense will form for a number of
and post weld heat treatment. It is given differential temperatures. *
important to note that there can be Example - If the relative humidity in
other significant sources of the weld area is 70%, the base
hydrogen e.g. moisture from the metal and electrode must be no
atmosphere or from the material colder than 5˚ C below the air
where processing or service history temperature to prevent moisture
has left the steel with a significant condensation.
level of hydrogen.
This can happen when plates or
Hydrogen may also be derived electrodes come from a colder
from the surface of the material or workshop, warehouse or from the
the consumable, or from oil and outside.
paint etc.
The below chart shows the relative
humidity at which detrimental water
0 100 12 44
1 93 13 41
2 87 14 38
3 81 15 36
4 75 16 34
5* 70* 18 30
6 66 20 26
7 61 22 23
8 57 24 21
9 53 26 18
10 50 28 16
11 48 30 14
* Difference in temperature between work piece or consumable and the air temperature
5
Covered MMA electrodes
6
Redrying Redrying conditions
• Low hydrogen covered basic • Redrying and holding temperatures
electrodes should be re-dried and holding times are specified on
before use whenever there are the package label.
application requirements relating • The redrying temperature is the
to weld metal hydrogen content temperature in the bulk of the
and/or radiographic soundness electrodes. The redrying time is
(not needed for VacPac). measured from the point at which
• Acid rutile stainless electrodes the redrying temperature has
and all types of basic electrodes been reached.
may produce pores in the weld • Do not stack more than four layers
metal if they have not been of electrodes in the redrying oven.
stored in sufficiently dry • It is recommended not to redry
conditions. Re-drying the covered electrodes more than
electrodes will restore their three times.
usability. • A summary of recommended
• Mild steel rutile and acid redrying conditions for ESAB
electrodes normally need no electrodes is given in table on the
re-drying. next page.
• Cellulose electrodes must not
be re-dried.
• Electrodes, which are seriously
damaged by moisture, cannot
be restored to their original
condition by baking and should
be scrapped.
7
Recommended redrying temperatures, holding time two hours for OK electrodes.
80°C 150°C 200°C 250°C 300°C 350°C 350°C
OK 63.80 OK 86.28
OK 64.30 OK 86.30
OK 64.63 OK 92.35
8
Equipment for storage and
redrying of electrodes
PK 1 dry-storage container
The PK 5 is a combined drying and
dry-storage system for most types
of electrode. The drying time at full
effect is one to seven hours
depending on the type of
electrode.The temperature is
thermostatically controlled and
ranges from 50-300OC. The
electrodes should be stored in the
PK 5 drying equipment
PK 5 without packaging.
9
Discoloration in the
coating
If the colour of the electrodes
changes during storage, they
should be scrapped or an ESAB
representative should be contacted.
Damaged coating
Physically damaged electrodes
PK 410 drying cabinet where sections of the coating are
missing will not perform correctly
The PK 410 is a robust cabinet for and should be scrapped.
the drying and dry storage of
electrodes. The drying temperature
can be regulated between 0 oC and
450oC. The dry-storage
temperature is around 150 oC. The
PK 410 is equipped with a control
lamp, electronic thermometer and
electronic thermostat. The PK 410
also has a seven-day timer. The
timer makes it possible to
automatically change from drying
to dry storage for selected times
and temperature ranges.
10
Covered MMA
electrodes in VacPac
11
Area to note date and Complete product Ducted plastic box and Plastic box protects the
time of opening the information on label aluminium foil can be electrodes. It can be
Central store
Central store
max. 50°C
Baking
Shop store
Shop store
max. 50°C
g s
n
i
n
i
a t
r
m c
Quiver e l
R
Welding Welding
12
MIG/MAG/SAW wires, TIG
rods and strips
13
contamination. Wire should be lifting straps from the octagonal
stored at ambient conditions of drum and fold it completely flat for
temperature and humidity, and easy and space saving storage until
dusty areas should be avoided collection. Also note that Marathon
when wire is not enclosed in some Pac protects your welding wire from
type of dust-protecting packaging contamination.
or equipment.
Wire for TIG (GTAW) welding Recommended conditions of storage
should be protected from dust and for all solid wires are minimum
airborne contamination after removal temperature of 15°C and humidity
from the packaging. The package of maximum 60% RH.
for TIG wires consist of a rigid fibre
tube with a plastic lid that can be Aluminium wires
closed again after breaking the Atmospheric conditions affect weld
sealing. The tube is PE coated and quality. Moisture (H 2O) is a prime
provides a very good moisture source of hydrogen. At arc
protection. The package is also temperatures, water breaks down
very stable and user friendly. releasing hydrogen atoms that
cause porosity in weldments.
Marathon Pac bulk drums for MIG/ Aluminium, which is allowed to
MAG welding is designed for fast, repeatedly come into contact with
efficient handling and ease of water, will eventually form a
eventual recycling. VCI paper inside hydrated oxide (AIOH) coating.
every drum and protective foil
around each pallet is protecting the Moisture from condensation present
wire against moisture during on either the electrode or the base
transport and storage. metal can cause two problems
Once empty, simply remove the during welding:
14
• Porosity caused by hydrogen should be cleaned and brushed
generated from the breakdown with a clean stainless steel brush
of water or from the breakdown prior to welding. ESAB recommends
of hydrated oxide (AIOH) present mild alkaline solutions and
on the metal surfaces. commercial degreasers that do not
• Entrapment of the actual oxide evolve toxic fumes during welding.
(AIOH) present on the metal Welders should wipe joint edges
surfaces, in the weldment. with a clean cloth dipped in a
volatile petroleum based solvent.
In an aluminium welding shop, the All surfaces must be thoroughly
uniformity of air and metal dried after cleaning.
temperatures is important
especially when the relative Strips
humidity is high. Electrode and Welding operators must keep
base metal should be allowed to strips as clean and protected as
stabilise to the weld area possible. This includes careful and
temperature. The electrode should proper storage and handling all
not be opened in the weld area for stock to prevent dust and organic
24 hours after entry from a cooler compounds including body oils
storage area. The base metal contaminating the strip surface.
15
Cored Wires
16
For stainless steel cored wires cold wire. To avoid condesation the
extra attention is required in order relative humidity and temperature
to ensure that they are returned to shall be monitored and the
the correct storage conditions the temperature should not fall below
end of the working period. the dew point (listed in table on
page 5).
Wires should not be left on welding Other hydrogen-containing
machines or out of the store for substances like oil, grease and
prolonged periods, especially corrosion or substances that could
overnight, since condensation of absorb moisture must also be
moisture from the air may lead to avoided on the wire surface.
rapid surface deterioration. Always
replace wires in their original Deteriorated product
packaging and return them to Cored wires that are rusty, have
controlled storage areas. suffered from serious water and
moisture contamination, or have
If a wire has been left on the been exposed to he atmosphere
equipment for a long period of over long periods of time cannot be
time, it is good practice to run off restored in their original condition
at least one layer of wire to remove and should be discarded.
the worst of any surface oxidation
or contamination that may have ESAB ceramic weld metal supports
occurred. have no adverse influence on weld
metal composition and mechanical
All cored wires should avoid direct properties. They are dry and
contact with water or moisture. insensitive to moisture absorption,
This could take the form of rain or leaving consumables’ low-hydrogen
the condensation of moisture on a performance unaffected.
17
SAW and strip cladding
fluxes
18
• In severe applications, stipulated hours. Fused fluxes: 200 +/-
by the applicable material 50°C for about 2-4 hours.
specification, re-drying of the flux • Redrying must be done either in
is recommended. equipment that turns the flux so
• Furthermore, if the flux has that the moisture can evaporate
somehow picked up moisture, easily or in an oven on shallow
re-drying can return the flux to plates with a flux height not
its original moisture content. exceeding 5 cm.
• Re-drying shall be performed as • Re-dried flux, not immediately
follows: Agglomerated fluxes: used, must be kept at 150 +/-
300 +/- 25°C for about 2-4 25°C before use.
19
World leader in welding and cut-
ting technology and systems.
ESAB operates at the forefront of welding and Systems across all our global
cutting technology. Over one hundred years of manufacturing facilities.
continuous improvement in products and
processes enables us to meet the challenges At ESAB, quality is an ongoing process
of technological advance in every sector in that is at the heart of all our production
which ESAB operates. processes and facilities worldwide.
Multinational manufacturing, local
Quality and environment standards representation and an international network
Quality, the environment and safety are three of independent distributors brings the
key areas of focus. ESAB is one of few benefits of ESAB quality and unrivalled
international companies to have achieved the expertise in materials and processes
ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards in within reach of all our customers, wherever
Environmental, Health & Safety Management they are located.
ESAB AB
Box 8004, SE-402 77 Göteborg, Sweden. 9
0
0
2
0
E-mail: info@esab.se 2
0
7
9
0
www.esab.com 0
0
A
X
:
o
N
.
g
e
R