Whether you are a beginner or you’ve been welding for years now, the one thing that you need to choose correctly for every single project is the type of electrode. An electrode is essentially a metal wire with a coating. It needs to be made out of a material similar to the composition of the metal that will be welded. This will help in ensuring that the weld is faultless. Consequently, you need to procure a different kind of electrode for every type of metal that you weld. For this, you can simply contact a Welding Electrodes Suppliers in India.
Everything you need to know about Types of Electrodes
Several factors need to be taken into consideration when choosing the type of electrode for a welding project. Selecting the right electrode makes it easier to clean up, determines the strength of the weld, and its quality, and also minimizes the splatter. When it comes to their storage, you need to place them in an environment that is free from moisture. Make sure to carefully remove them from the packaging. Also to avoid any damage, you must consult your Welding Consumables suppliers and ask them for proper instructions. The following are the types of electrodes that you should be aware of:
1. Bare Electrodes
As the name suggests these electrodes do not have any coating. They just have the ones that require wire drawing. These coatings do have a minuscule stabilizing impact on the arc but other than that they have no utility. These are used to weld manganese steel as well as for other purposes where coated electrodes cannot be used. These electrodes are manufactured using compositions of the wire required for specific applications. If you require bare electrodes, you can ask your Welding Consumables Manufacturers to manufacture them for you as per your specifications.
2. Lightly Coated Electrodes
These electrodes have a light coating on them. This coating is applied by washing and dipping, then brushing, spraying, followed by tumbling, and then wiping the surface. These coatings help in increasing the characteristics of the arc stream. These electrodes also possess a definite composition.
3. Shielded Arc Electrodes
Shielded arc electrodes are coated quite heavily. They also possess a definite composition and the coating is applied with the help of extrusion or dipping. There are three general types of these electrodes - cellulose coatings, mineral coatings, and a combination of both. Cellulose coatings are made of soluble cotton whereas mineral coatings are manufactured by Welding Electrodes Suppliers using sodium silicate or other inorganic substances.
4. Tungsten Electrodes
These are used for TIG welding and are of three different types: pure tungsten, tungsten that contains 1 to 2 percent of thorium, and tungsten consisting of around 0.5 percent of zirconium. Pure tungsten electrodes are used in welding operations that are less critical. The preference is usually given to alloyed tungsten.
Conclusion
These are the types of electrodes that you can use for your welding project. In order to procure the topmost quality of electrodes make sure that you partner with a leading Welding Consumables Manufacturers in India. Since electrodes are responsible for the quality of your weld and its durability, it is important to ensure that you use only the right type of electrode.
