FCAW manufacturing

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 05-06-2003 15:12

http://esabna.com/msds/79711.pdf
Try this link for ESAB's mild steel dual shield flux core wire
John Wright

By amarlowe444 Date 05-06-2003 22:30

Thanks, it is useful from the user point of view, but I meant from the manufacturers point of view.
Anyhow it is interesting so as to be in good health while welding

By billvanderhoof (****)

Date 05-07-2003 06:12

Just for clarity- Do you want to manufacture the wire or use the flux core process to manufacture something else.
Bill

By amarlowe444 Date 05-07-2003 17:37

I participated in a welding rod business and these and other questions became apparent to me.
Anwering your question, if it is technically and economically ;-) possible, why not?

By amarlowe444 Date 05-07-2003 17:40

To complete the answer it was of curiosity about this fact but not to do something else with the process.

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 05-07-2003 18:05

I was thinking about something you mentioned in your post, about the flux core wire not being a mature product. I have welders that qualified here at our plant using flux core in the late seventies, so my question is... how old does a product have to be to be considered mature?
John Wright

By amarlowe444 Date 05-07-2003 19:24

It is a good observation.
Also one could ask himself what is the measure of maturity?
One could be time, then you have to consider that the welding rod was invented by Kjelberg in the 1890s, so by this concept FCAWs are not mature at all.
Another could be manufacturers, then you would observe that welding rods manufacturers exist in the world by the hundreds, but FCAW manufacturers only by the dozen (at least independent ones) so could be considered not mature.
Another concept would be use, then you could verify that in the last decade FCAW use has multplied itself many times over and rod use has gone down.
Everything depends on the criteria used.
All indicates it is growing much more than the quantity of worlwide manufacturers.
So it must be a good business, dont you think ;-)

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 05-08-2003 11:15

Also note that welding machines have come along way in the last couple of decades, therefore newer and easier to use processes have developed and are being widely accepted. I know of shops that were using stick exclusively are now using only flux core. This being the case, I can see that the rod use may have decreased somewhat as that of the past. Other processes can join thinner materials without burning thru, and other processes lend itself to continuous welding(relatively speaking) vs welding until the rod is used up and having to stop and reload. Deposition rates are much higher with other processes making electrode choice lean towards wire on rolls, etc...

Anyway good debate,
John Wright

By AlbertMartin10 Date 05-09-2003 22:37

Indeed you are right. I have been involved in this business for many years and my way of living is as a consultant on equipment processes and formulae for FCAW manufacturing.
This is possible only because of what you already said:
The knowledge and means of FCAw manufacturing is concentrated on only a few companies.
I usually consult for welding rod manufacturers who want to also make FCAw and the technology is completely different, so without RR budget is much more difficult.
Also indeed it is a good business.
You hit right on the mark.

By amarlowe444 Date 05-22-2003 05:12

If you are in the business of consulting for flux core wire making I would surely want to talk with you, please mail to my company at this mail Sele_Nium@yahoo.com, thank you in advance

By AlbertMartin10 Date 06-11-2003 01:36

OK Ill do that