FCAW (Flux Cored Arc Welding)

Click to See Live Demo of Hardfacing on Carbon Steel Base Plate

 

Power Source and Control Panel for Oscillator, Turntable & Power Source.

Oscillator & Turntable

1. What is hardfacing?

Metal parts often fail their intended use not because they fracture, but because they wear, which causes them to lose dimension and functionality. Hardfacing, also known as hardsurfacing, is the application of buildup or wear-resistant weld metals to a part's surface by means of welding or joining.

BENEFITS OF HARDFACING:

  1. Reduces Cost: Restoring a worn part to "as new" condition generally costs between 20-70% of a brand new replacement part.
  2. Prolongs Equipment Life: Service life increases of 3 to 10 times are common with properly overlaid parts.
  3. Reduces Downtime: Parts last longer and fewer shutdowns are required.
  4. Less Spare Parts Inventory: There is no need to keep numerous spare parts when worn parts can be rebuilt.

2. What base metals can be hardfaced?

Carbon and low-alloy steels with carbon contents of less than 1 percent can be hardfaced. High-carbon alloys may require a special buffer layer.

The following base metals can be hardfaced:

  • Stainless steels
  • Manganese steels
  • Cast irons and steels
  • Nickel-base alloys
  • Copper-base alloys

FCAW and GMAW may be interchangeable or the same in terms of popularity. However, the trend is toward use of semiautomatic and automatic welding procedures.

TYPES OF WEAR CONDITIONS HARDFACING CAN REDUCE OR ELIMINATE:

Abrasive wear is caused by foreign materials rubbing against a metal part.

Metal-to-metal wear results from non-lubricated friction of metal parts. As metal surfaces slide against each other, the high areas are broken and tiny fragments of metal are torn away.

A blow or a series of blows to a surface resulting in fracture or gradual deterioration. In general, impact resistance
decreases as carbide content is increased. Because abrasion resistance increases with carbide content, a compromise often must be made.

Heat influences wear resistance by:

  1. softening the metallurgical structure.
  2. causing a phase change that increases hardness and brittleness.
  3. allowing chemical attack leading to galling and deterioration.

The deterioration of metal by chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment.

Wear in which loss of material occurs due to the cutting action of moving particles carried in a fluid stream is termed impingement erosion. At low impingement angles (<15%), hardfacing with large amounts of carbides (hypereutectic alloys), are recommended. At high impingement angles (>80%), large amounts of matrix (hypoeuctectic alloys), are recommended.

Material loss due to very-small-amplitude vibrations at mechanical connections, such as riveted joints. This type of wear is a combination of oxidation and abrasive wear

3.What is the Deposition Rate of different welding processes?

Procedure

Deposition Rate (lbs./hr.)

FCAW

8 to 25

PTA

5 to 20

GMAW

5 to 12

SMAW

3 to 5

SAW

8 to 25

GTAW

3 to 5

OFW

5 to 10

Note: It can be seen that FCAW has highest deposition rate among all common processes.

Hardfacing in Process

Category
Process
Arc welding
Flux core arc welding (FCAW)
Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
Plasma arc welding (PAW)
Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
Submerged arc welding (SAW)
Torch welding
Oxy/fuel gas welding (OFW)
Other welding
Electron beam welding (EBW)
Electroslag welding (ESW)
Furnace braze (FB)
Laser beam welding (LBW)

Common Materials Used in Hardfacings
Hardfacings are good for substrate materials that are suitable for welding, such as low-carbon steel. The most common hardfacing materials are nickel alloys and iron/chromium alloys used in wear resistance and high stress abrasion. Common materials for hardfacing are listed as follows:

Metal Alloy

Purpose

Cobalt-base alloys

wear and corrosion resistance

Copper-base alloys

rebuilding worn machinery parts

Iron chromium alloys

high stress abrasion

Manganese steel

wear application

Nickel-base alloys

metal-to-metal wear resistance

Tool steel

tooling, wear application

Tungsten carbide

high stress abrasion

APPLICATIONS
FCAW is used for all Overlaying, Hardfacing & Cladding applications.

Typical application areas of the FCAW technology are extruding machine screws, valves, valve seats of internal combustion engines (motorcar, marine, locomotive etc.), accessories for ships, petroleum chemistry and power generation, cutting tools (milling cutters, broaches, knifes) ,Equipment for mining, crushing, rolling, road building and tunneling, Process equipment in ceramics and cement production,Molds and forging dies, Pulp and paper industry equipment, Agricultural equipment, parts for nuclear plants, parts for chemical plant

Advantages of FCAW

  1. It is a process which can be very easily automated to the highest degree, as compare to any other welding process.
  2. Deposition efficiency & deposition speed is very high.
  3. It has got very high electrical efficiency (low heat input)
  4. FCAW uses spray transfer for deposition of metal to job
  5. All the above results in a very low deformation in the job.
  6. It is possible to add alloys through the core (flux) to give the final desire composition.
  7. It is possible to work on site / out doors.
Finished Bead

Specifications of Power Source (CV)

Model ACW

250

300

400

500

600

Input Volts

380-440, 3Ø, 50Hz

380-440, 3Ø, 50Hz

380-440, 3Ø, 50Hz

380-440, 3Ø, 50Hz

380-440, 3Ø, 50Hz

Output Rating

250A

300A

400A

500A

600A

OCV

18-44V

18-44V

18-52V

18-56V

18-60V

Duty cycle

70%

70%

70%

70%

70%

KVA

10

14

18

24

34

Cooling

Forced Air

Forced Air

Forced Air

Forced Air

Forced Air

Insulation Class

H

H

H

H

H

Permissible Wire Ø in mm

0.8-1.2

0.8-1.2

0.8-1.6

0.8-1.6

0.8-2.4

Overall Dimensions (approx) in mm

Length mm

685

685

685

740

740

Width mm

590

590

590

640

640

Height mm

930

930

930

1030

1030

weight (Kg)

190

205

230

300

325

wire speed - 0 to14 meters per minute


Welding Turntable / Positioner

Load :150kgs
Vetrtical load :100 kgs.
Height :650 mm
Rpm :0-2
Tilting :Manual
With PMDC motors & Electronic Solid State Drives

* Higher Models Available - Specifications given on request

Oscillator
Oscillator with column & boom suitable for the above positioner
With variable speed potential control along with micro slide
With PMDC motors & Electronic Solid state Drives.

Controller
Programmable Logic Control (PLC) with 4 Input and 8 Output to control Power Source, Positioner, Oscillator & Wire feeder, Water Recirculator Cum Chiller
Housed in a seperate Control Panel

Wire Feeder
The feed mechanism is robust, light in weight for easy manoeuvrability maintenance free, and has drive system totally enclosed in alloy steel casing with hardened rollers, with interchangeability to choose different wire diameters, pre-flow and post-flow to eliminate contamination of weld. Electronic stepless control with feed back system for constant output speed and quality welding, push buttons for inching and gas checking. Quick release device for easy change over of insulated spool holder.

Welding Gun
Suitable Welding Gun will be provided as per requirement of the customer. Standard Guns available are 250 A / 400 A / 600 A in Gas Cooled / Water Cooled models.

Water Recirculator Cum Chiller
Refrigerated water chiller with 20 Ltr SS tank, 0.5 hp Water Pump, Temperature Control from 8 to 26 degrees. Housed in small portable chassis.

* Specifications subject to change for further improvement..

 

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