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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / 310 Stainless steel argh!
- - By prowelder (*) Date 02-05-2007 17:25
anyone ever managed to weld this stuff successfully with 310 electrode with the fcaw process?
Parent - - By chuck meadows (***) Date 02-05-2007 20:43
What problems are you having? The higher nickel content of a 310 renders it a pure austenitic filler metal, but it should weld quite easily. The higher nickel content will be sort of sluggish, but you should have minimal trouble. Of course with FCAW, the production piece needs to be  thick enough to accept the heat from the FCAW process. If you are using .045" diameter wire, try 29 volts and 200-210 amps and see how that runs.

Chuck
Parent - - By prowelder (*) Date 02-05-2007 20:50
Cracking and lack of fusion are two of the problems we are having.
Parent - - By js55 (*****) Date 02-05-2007 20:58
Centerline cracking?
Parent - - By prowelder (*) Date 02-05-2007 21:18
yes centerline cracking and crater cracking.
Parent - By js55 (*****) Date 02-05-2007 21:28
Try narrowing up the beads, and carryring less of a puddle. Closer to stringering it instead of weaves. You can probably even get away with a little more heat but with higher alloys increasing heat doesn't help much with puddle fluidity. As for crater cracking have the welders hold for moment before shutting off the wire. Possibly even swirling the wire a bit to build up a thicker deposit right at the button. And make sure the post flow stays put for a few seconds.
Parent - - By js55 (*****) Date 02-05-2007 20:57
Tons of this stuff is welded successfully every day. It will have a higher hot crack tendency due to its fully austenitic nature as Chuck mentioned, but keepin it chilly as he suggests is the right remedy. I do not know who all offers 310 FCAW wires but I would not scrimp on cost on this one. Its all in the flux. Buy a good one. And make sure the alloying is in the strip not the flux. As far as welding characterisitcs are concerned, if you have welders that have FCAW'd 308/309/316 they should be able to handle 310, just beware of the hot cracking.
Parent - By chuck meadows (***) Date 02-05-2007 22:20 Edited 02-05-2007 22:25
Good info, but  may I add one more important thing. Keep the interpass temperature around 200F. No more than 250F.  And definitely use stringer beads. Weaving will cause uneven cooling down rates and increase the possibility of solidification (centerline) cracking.

Chuck
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / 310 Stainless steel argh!

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