The Benefits of Using Metal Cored Wire

8/10/2019 The Benefits of Using Metal Cored Wire

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High performance wire for hardfacing, welding and thermal spraying

look at the characterist ics and advantages that can r esult in overal l cost

savings

Quick highlights - Metal Cored Wire:

High deposition efficiency

High deposition rates

Increased duty cycles

Intodays industrial world, metal fabricators have an array of choices to select from whendeciding which welding process and consumable to use for a specific application. As always,

product cost, efficiency, and quality will play a key role in these decisions. It is a continuing

struggle to find consumables that can reduce costs without sacrificing the integrity of the work.

Many fabricators, however, are finding that metal cored wire is quite a beneficial change. While

this type of consumable is not new to the welding industry, the classification and the advantages

of using metal cored wire are not always recognized.

Metal Cored Wires

The American Welding Society classifies metal cored wires under the same specification as solid

MIG wires. Metal cored wires have a very similar construction to flux cored wires but the

performance and functionality parallel solid MIG wires. The basic composition of metal cored

wire is a tubular electrode comprised of an outer metal sheath and a core of powdered

materials. Both the outer sheath and internal powder composition can be formulated to meet

specific requirements.

The outer metallic sheath can be cobalt,

nickel, iron or stainless steel-based. Thissheath conducts the electrical current

during the welding process and the

current carrying density is greater in

metal cored wires, therefore increasing

the deposition rate as compared to solid

Metal Cored Wires


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MIG wires. Also, improved penetration and sidewall fusion capabilities are made possible due

to these increased deposition rates.

Metal cored wire internal composition consists of both elemental and alloyed powders such as

nickel, cobalt, chromium, tungsten, molybdenum, and manganese to name a few. This internalcomposition of metallic powders is far less conductive than the outer sheath carrying the

electrical current, resulting in a more controlled weld pool.

Advantages of Metal Cored Wires

Making the change to metal cored wire can be extremely advantageous. There are a number of

factors that contribute to the success of metal cored wires, including:

High deposition efficiency

High deposition rates Increased duty cycles

The deposition efficiency of a consumable is the amount of

material that converts to weld metal. During the welding

process, a portion of the consumable is lost to slag, spatter,

and fumes. The lower this percentage of lost consumable is,

the higher the deposition efficiency will be. Depending on

the transfer used, metal cored wire can exhibit a deposition

efficiency range of 92-98%. This high efficiency is due to a decreased volume of slag and

spatter that require removal from the weld and parent material. Reduced fume levels are also

reflected in the deposition and create a healthier work environment for the welder.

Higher deposition rates are also seen in the implementation of metal cored wire. The deposition

rate is the amount of weld metal

deposited during a given time.

The deposition rate of metal

cored wire is about 57% higher

per hour than solid MIG wire.

This ultimately results in higher

achievable welding speeds.

Travel speeds rely on duty

cycles. During the welding

process, a duty cycle refers to

Advantages of Metal Cored Wires

Amperage

Rate

(lb/hr)


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the amount of continuous arc time. Factors such as travel time, equipment, slag removal, and

replenishing consumables affect the duty cycle. Shielded metal arc welding using stick

electrodes can only produce about 12 minutes of welding every hour, whereas metal cored wire

yields a duty cycle of about 30 minutes an hour. While solid MIG and flux cored wire can

achieve these high duty cycles as well, only metal cored wire can take the process to a whole

new level with faster travel speeds. Metal cored wire can account for increased travel speeds of

35-40%. Fabricators can practice automatic application with high duty cycles and travel speeds

without jeopardizing weld integrity and appearance.

As stated earlier, the main objectives for fabricators are to achieve productivity and efficiency at

a lower cost. While metal cored wire has a higher cost per pound than other consumables, the

true economic payback is seen during the process itself, not in the initial cost of materials.

Labor costs are generally a substantial portion of total cost and therefore welding efficiency and

productivity must be weighed heavily. When assessing the change to metal cored wire, keep in

mind these key points that result in overall cost savings: high deposition efficiencies, high

deposition rates, increased duty cycles and faster travel speeds.

About Polymet

Polymet (www.polymet.us), a world-class manufacturer of high performance wire for hardfacing,

welding and thermal spraying, produces high quality products used in the aerospace,

automotive, cement, mining, lumber, nuclear, power generation and many other industries. Our

wires are ideal for demanding applications such as metal to metal, metal to earth, high impact,

high abrasion, corrosion and high temperature, or combinations of these wear factors.

For more information please contact:

Danny Newman

Polymet Corporation

10073 Commerce Park Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45246

1-888-765-9638

USA Tel: 1-513-874-3586

[email protected]

Follow us on:

Conclusion

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The Benefits of Using Metal Cored Wire