ESAB’s new rutile cored wires for welding of high strength steel
Dual Shield 55 and Dual Shield 62 are ESAB’s new all positional rutile, low hydrogen flux-cored wires for the welding of high strength steels, giving weld metal yield strengths of minimum 550 and 620 MPa respectively and good toughness down to -40°C.  They have excellent weldability and produce flat beads with good wetting and smooth appearance.  Both wires are designed for use in Ar/CO2 shielding gas. 

These ‘welder-friendly’ wires have a soft, spatter-free arc that always operates in the spray arc mode.  It is easy to obtain flat welds with a good penetration and smooth wetting onto the plate edges.  The brittle slag is easily removed leaving behind a smooth weld appearance.  Typical positional welding defects such as lack of fusion and slag inclusions are avoided, due to the spray arc operation.  The wires have a good tolerance for fit-up variations.  High quality one-sided root runs are made economically on ceramic backing.

The wire formulation provides a fast freezing slag that supports the weld pool well in positional welding, enabling deposition rates which cannot be equalled by stick electrodes or solid wires.  Deposition rates in vertical up welding can reach up to 4kg/h (100% duty cycle), making it the most productive consumable available for manual welding position.  Welding parameters are optimised per welding position for maximum productivity, but one single setting can be selected for all-positions (230A), making it ideal for fit-up work.

Diffusible hydrogen satisfies the EN H5 class tested under the conditions prescribed in the classification standard and remains low over a wide parameter box.