What's your take on this?
Is it a common practice to cover the filler wires on spools for GMAW & FCAW processes to prevent contaminants, welding spatters & grinding sparks from reaching the wires?
Contractor is trying to save the cost of buying the protective covers on filler wire spools for 100 over welding machines. They even request to conduct a welding procedure qualification test using contaminated wires and if it passed the test, the need to have a protective cover on filler wire may no a longer necessary.
Being from the Southwest, and now in the pacific Northwest of the US, I have never seen covers for GMAW or FCAW filler metals. Well, maybe once or twice, I seen garbage bags placed over the spools over a weekend. The LN25 feeders come in a suitcase style case that a few shops, and most field crews use. I've never seen it as standard practice to cover electrodes, especially in a shop environment, unless its raining and the roof leaks.
D1.8, which is probably the most restrictive in regards to electrode exposure for FCAW, tells you to follow the manufacturers guidelines, and if that's not available, 72 hour maximum exposure time. See the attached for the code excerpt.
We put our spools of GMAW/FCAW back in the box and cover with a moisture proof plastic bag. Common practice for us. Unless stainless we just put back in original box and put on shelf, might even seal with tape. Chicago area, summers are humid.
I don't think I have ever seen a roll of wire covered during work unless it was inside of a suitcase. In California in the field we used to tie a garbage bag over the roll, or put the entire suitcase inside a garbage bag, at the end of the day.
With high deposition welding, which appears to be the case judging by your picture, the Welder can burn a spool a day of wire.
At this rate, as long as the machine is not exposed to rain or mist blowing through an open door, and no one deliberatly covers the machine with dust, a cover can just be a nuiscance, or something else to break.
It's best to cover it but not a requirement as long as good sense is involved, which is not always the case. I recall a time when a Welder using FCAW had his similar, uncovered wire feeder on a pile of damp used sand blast tailings. The feeder had tipped over so the spool was turning in the sand. The Welder was putting in foot after foot of porosity filled weld, just happily welding away, too senseless to realize something was wrong, until his liner gummed up solid with sand.
I think suitcase feeders would be best, to help engineer out some mistreatment. You can consider purchasing these as replacements as your existing machines wear out. Until then, use common sense and make it a policy that spools are somehow covered when not in use.
Do the PQR testing. Use that as a tool to define limits. You can also use it to verify your pre-heat requirements and notch toughness properties. Consider AWS B4.0 Cruciform and Trough Tests.
If you show the Management that keeping spools uncovered is costing them more than purchasing or making covers would, then you'll have their attention.
Tim
Seen many who cut the box bottom and one side out so they can slip the box back over the spool to keep dust and crap off
Yup, that's often better than a garbage bag, as it's re-usable.
Tim
Depending upon your atmospheric environment, plastic bags will add to the potential for condensation and moisture accumulation that will be drawn into the flux on FCAW and start rusting the outer surface on GMAW hard wires.
I vote for the box over the wire spool in order to reduce other contaminants.
He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent
I usually suggest using the cardboard carton with a few deft cuts with a box knife to cover the spools in dusty shop environments. Let's face it, a welder grinding creates plenty of dust and grit that can't do the liners, guides, and contact tips any good, never mind the welds.
I cannot recall how many times I've seen partial spools laying on the workbench or in the corner collecting grime. Then the welders blame the electrode manufacturer when the welds fail to pass muster during the visual examination. Welding isn't rocket science, but it does take some common sense.
Best regards - Al
