Drying and calcining of welding consumables

It is possible to ensure high-quality welding only with dry welding consumables. Therefore, drying and calcining are integral technological operations of welding with electrodes or submerged arc.

Equipment for drying (removing moisture) and calcining welding consumables is divided into two main types, or rather, its purpose: - for drying the coating of electrodes and for calcining the welding flux.

Possible equipment options for drying and calcining welding electrodes

The heating of electrodes can be carried out in various designs, devices and sizes, and sometimes even in modes.

Pencil cases-thermoses

Maintain the temperature of the electrodes without external heating. These thermoses are, in fact, a tray with external thermal insulation, where the electrodes cool slowly. Although these devices are used, they are not thermal equipment. In fact, these are containers for short-term storage. The electrodes must be preheated in another device..

Thermal cabinets

This is the simplest and most popular device for drying electrodes. Thermopenal is an insulated tray with a built-in heater. Their compact form allows them to be placed directly at the welding station. The heater is powered from a standard voltage of 220V. The capacity of the compartment does not exceed 10 kg, and the heating temperature, as a rule, does not exceed 180 ° С.

Cabinet for drying and calcining electrodes

These devices are already stationary, designed for heavy loads.. The cabinets have hinged doors, convection heating with a built-in fan. Electronic heating control with digital temperature display. Heating is carried out by heating elements placed in convection channels. The electrodes are placed in removable perforated trays, which can be taken out as needed. Heating is carried out with forced convection, due to the fan and the presence flow screens. The blowing is carried out by dynamic flows of a convection fan with volume control valves or dampers. The supply voltage is 380 V. The offered cabinets fully comply with the requirements of the guideline document RD5.90.2346-85.

Calcining the flux

The flux is a fine, dry and free-flowing powder based on aluminum oxide. Fluxes are inherently very hygroscopic and actively absorb moisture. Therefore, they are periodically calcined and kept at high temperatures or low humidity..

Calcination consists in heating and holding the material in a special oven to the recommended temperatures for a particular brand. The holding time must be sufficient for the flux warmed up in depth, and the flux is a kind of heat insulator. When heated, moisture evaporates, sublimes and is discharged through the pipe in the upper part of the muffle.

The most widespread are mine muffle electric furnaces. It is convenient to load shaft furnaces, for example, skip lift and unload into the workshop container with a dosing gate.

Heating of the material can be direct when heating elements are brought into the workspace and in direct contact with the material to be calcined. Such designs are limited by the limited application temperature of the heating element. As a rule, furnaces heated by heating elements do not exceed 500 ° C. Furnaces for higher temperatures are already used with indirect heating, for example, through the muffle wall from electric wire heaters placed along the perimeter of the shaft. Power and volume may vary from task.

Drying and calcining welding consumables are important and responsible processes, without which it will be difficult to achieve good results.

Depending on the productivity, the welding area can consume various types of welding consumables. The first and main factor when choosing equipment is heating temperature to which you need to heat.

The second, no less important factor is the working volume or mass of simultaneously loaded materials. This indicator directly depends on performance.

The third factor is installed capacity. As a rule, the power of the furnaces is proportional to the working volumes and rarely turns out to be excessive or insufficient. The mobility factor is relevant for small designs of electrode dryers and has no alternatives. Supply voltage unified for all domestic electric furnaces.

On the welding equipment market, there is a wide range of equipment for heat treatment of welding consumables for standard tasks. We also extensively manufacture both serial equipment, and special, for narrow tasks.