Weld Faster with Metal-Cored Wire
Metal-cored welding wire, like FabCOR® Edge™, is capable of welding faster than solid wire, while also creating higher-quality welds. The wire can also weld through moderate amounts of mill scale, paint or rust and still provide a fluid and forgiving weld pool. This allows companies to minimize activities such as grinding or sandblasting prior to welding, which in turn helps improve productivity. A reduction in spatter means parts that need painting can be sent directly to the paint department without post-weld cleaning.
Metal-cored welding wires aren’t new to the industry, but many are still unfamiliar with the technology. Because of this, there are often misconceptions about how it operates, especially compared to solid wire, and the cost associated with the product.
Metal-cored welding wires have a different structure and composition than solid wires, which results in distinctive operating characteristics. The wires consist of a hollow metal sheath into which filler metal manufacturers deposit metallic powders and/or alloys, including iron. This provides characteristics ranging from arc stabilization to higher tensile strengths and more. As a result of this tubular structure, metal-cored wires carry the welding current through the outside metal sheath to the workpiece instead of through the entire cross-section as with solid wires. At equivalent amperage settings, metal-cored wires also carry higher current densities. The result of both factors is a broad, cone-shaped arc and a wide penetration profile, as well as high burn-off rates that increase deposition rates and can provide faster travel speeds.
For more guidance on welding various metals and what filler metals to use in your industry, explore our collection of Technical Articles.