ESAB Welding & Cutting Products recently launched ESAB 7018-1 Prime low-hydrogen Stick electrodes (AWS E7018-1 H4R) in the US market.
ESAB 7018-1 Prime comes in a 24-pound master carton that contains six VacPac vacuum-sealed packages. They are available in all diameters, from 3/32 inches to 5/32 inches, and 14-inch lengths, ESAB said.
The new electrodes are operator friendly, the company maintained, offering good slag release, weld puddle control and a higher deposition rate. Operators can weld faster without sacrificing out-of-position welding performance. A graphite coating on the end of the electrode improves arc initiation. Applications include power generation, structural steel, offshore, pressure vessel fabrication, petrochemical industry, food processing other industries where the prevention of cold cracking or porosity is crucial.
“The VacPac contains 4 pounds of electrodes because the average welder in an industrial operation consumes 3 to 5 pounds of electrodes per shift,” said Halinson Campos, product business manager for filler metals at ESAB. “Compared to the industry’s standard 50-pound cans, VacPac reduces or eliminates the need to scrap unused electrodes at the end of the day or re-bake them in a rod oven. Four-pound packages are also much easier for operators to carry and less expensive to ship.”
VacPac features a laminated, multi-layer aluminum foil that is hermetically-sealed around a strong plastic inner box. Protected by a cardboard outer box, they have unlimited shelf life and do not require special warehouse conditions, provided they are handled with care and the foil is not damaged, ESAB maintained. Upon opening, fresh and dry electrodes are guaranteed when the vacuum is confirmed. Distributors have the flexibility to sell individual 4-pound packages.
The “-1” designation indicates Charpy V-Notch properties measured at lower temperatures. ESAB 7018-1 Prime provides as-welded impact values of 78 foot-pounds at -50°F and 168 foot-pounds at -20°F. Electrodes with a -1 designation may also be used when procedures call for a standard E7018 electrode, but not vice versa.
ESAB 7018-1 Prime also carries the H4R designation, indicating less than 4 milliliters of diffusible hydrogen per 100 grams of deposited weld. These electrodes can be used straight out of the VacPac package without the need to bake or store them temporarily in holding ovens or quivers to meet low-hydrogen requirements, the company said. Designed for moisture resistances, H4R electrodes also have less than 0.4% moisture absorption after 12 hours of exposure at 80°F and 80% relative humidity.
While ESAB 7018-1 Prime is new to the US, it is an established global product sold in Canada, the EU, Middle East and Asia under the name OK 55.00. ESAB manufactures these low-hydrogen electrodes at its Perstrop, Sweden facility, where the quality system is certified by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and other international bodies.
For more information, visit www.esab.com.
