Best Welding Consumables on the Market – 2022 Buyer’s Guide

What Are Welding Consumables?

A welding torch has three primary functions, namely to deliver electric current to the electrode, to provide shielding of the arc area, and to direct the electrode into the arc.

A torch is connected to the robot flange with a mounting arm and should ideally be fitted with an anti-collision clutch to prevent equipment damage in the case of a stuck electrode or crash.

There are many types of torches, and the best option depends on several factors, including the process, current, electrode size, and shielding medium. A torch can be categorized in terms of cooling. Some models are water-cooled with circulating water while others are air-cooled.

Tips are located at the business end of a torch. Tips produce a positive pressure that is higher than one pound per square inch, and they are used at equal pressures of acetylene and oxygen.

Single-hole copper-alloy tips are fitted to the torch handle, which is equipped with a mixer that combines fuel with oxygen. The mixed gas moves through the tip and burns at the end as it exits to produce a weld. The design of the tip depends on the flame characteristics of the fuel gas.

You can choose from one and two-piece tips. One-piece tips have a cutting jet oxygen passage and preheating flame passage. Two-piece tips feature an outer shell, grooves for preheating flames, and a splined insert.

Consumable electrodes carry current from the torch to the plate. Electrodes are typically made from copper or silver and contain tungsten or hafnium to allow for better electricity conducting.

The electricity flows from the welder through the torch and to the electrode via a cathode block. An electrode has three functions, namely to maintain uniform density and thermal balance during welding as well as to concentrate the current at welding points.

In shield metal arc or “stick” welding, electrodes are consumable. The electrodes used in Tungsten Inert Gas welding, on the other hand, are non-consumable, as they don’t meld to form part of the weld.

There are several wire types available to fabricators, each with unique arc behaviors, applications, and mechanical properties. The three gas-shielded arc wires include:

Solid Gas Metal Arc Wire (GMAW)

Many steelworkers prefer GMAW as it produces a weld deposit with no slag. The clean-up requirements of this wire type are also low, which increases efficiency.

Gas-shielded Flux-cored Arc Wire (FCAW)

This type of wire is tubular and contains fluxing agents and deoxidizers in the core to add additional protection from the atmosphere. Because it has a flux, this wire type is especially suitable for welding dirty steel.

Composite GMAW Wire (Metal-core)

Metal-core wires are tubular electrodes that contain metallic constituents in the core. Because of its metallic components, it can weld steel with mill scale and surface contaminants.

Welding Consumables are Segmented Into:

In arc welding, an electric arc produces the intense heat that is necessary to melt steel, usually at the joint between two parts. An arc is an electric current that flows through ionized gas between to electrodes.

The arc forms between the steel plate and a wire or stick electrode. Consumable electrodes in arc welding do not only conduct the current but also melts to supply filler metal to fuse the joint.

Arc welding is incredibly popular, and there are several kinds to choose from, including shielded metal arc, submerged arc, MIG, flux-cored arc, and TIG. All these kinds of arc welding are based on the same principle.

Oxy-fuel involves the combustion of pure oxygen and acetylene that are mixed in correct proportions to produce a flame that melts steel at a temperature of about 3,200 degrees Celsius.

The equipment needed for this process includes a gas torch and steel gas cylinders that are fitted with a regulator, hoses, and a non-return valve. Other fuels that can be used include propylene, liquified petroleum gas, natural gas, MAPP gas, and hydrogen.

This process is incredibly versatile and can be used for welding, metal cutting and heating, and depositing metal for surface build-up. The application determines the type of torch and fuel you need.

Ultrasonic bonding is the fusion of two thermoplastic parts that are chemically compatible with each other to establish a molecular bond.

This method involves the conversion of high-frequency electrical energy into high-frequency mechanical motion that, together with applied force, produces heat at the joint area between two plastic components. The heat melts the plastic material to form the molecular bond.

The ultrasonic method is energy-efficient, clean, fast, and versatile. You can fuse most plastic material types, including polypropylene, acrylic, polycarbonate, and polystyrene. The running costs of this method are also relatively low since it does not require any consumable materials like solder, flux, rivets, or clips.

LBW is a fast and efficient process that is particularly suitable in automated processes. A high-intensity laser beam that is focused on the joint generates the heat necessary to fuse metals.

LBW is a suitable option for projects that require visual appeal and precision. The most common LBW processes include spot and seam, depositions, scanning, heat conduction, soldering, and deep penetration fusion.

One of the advantages of this process is that it requires no consumables unless fillers are used for soldering. LBW is also ideal for processing materials that have complex geometries.

Welding Supply Cost Considerations