FabCOR F6: Solving Galvanized Steel Welding Challenges
Hobart’s FabCOR F6 welding wire pairs perfectly with galvanized steel in robotic automotive manufacturing applications.
FabCOR F6 is a gas-shielded, metal-core tubular wire. It consists of a metal sheath filled with metallic powders, alloys and arc stabilizers. Galvanized steel has become an increasingly viable option for automobile manufacturers. These lighter-weight vehicles offer better gas mileage — without sacrificing quality or safety. With the protective layer of zinc oxide on its surface, the material offers excellent corrosion resistance, and high strengths, even at thinner gauges.
Galvanized steel’s most positive attributes, however, are also the very things that make the material so challenging to weld. Its thinness increases the opportunity for burn-through, while the zinc oxide coating contributes to defects when welded incorrectly. In both cases, manufacturers risk sacrificing quality and productivity, which can adversely affect their competitive edge and their bottom line.
Many automotive manufacturers currently use solid wire in galvanized steel welding applications. With welding speeds between 18 and 24 IPM, solid wire offers relatively slow throughput and exposes many of the pitfalls of welding with galvanized steel, including porosity, burn-through, poor weld penetration and spatter.
For more guidance on welding various metals and what filler metals to use in your industry, explore our collection of Technical Articles.