Marking of welding electrodes and their interpretation. Marks of electrodes for arc welding. Purpose and thickness of the coating

Different types of electrodes have their own marking. The marking indicates the basic information and parameters of a particular type of electrode. And, in order to learn to understand what properties this or that electrode has, we will talk about how to decipher the marking of the electrodes.

Before starting any welding work make sure the electrode meets the national standard. To do this, find the abbreviation "GOST - XXX-XX-X" on the package of electrodes, where instead of "X" a combination of numbers will be displayed. Consider the marking of the electrode, using the example of one of them. So, in our example, consider the electrode E46-LEZMR-3S (Also, it is called the "blue" electrode).

The marking may differ from what will be described in the example, however, the decoding principle remains the same. Cause different markings is the use of electrodes in certain welding conditions, when working with various metals, materials, and so on.

So the electrode E46-LEZMR-3S. Any electrode is marked with 12 combinations (ciphers), thanks to which you can find out this or that information about it.

"E46"- this combination indicates the type of electrode, which in this case designed for welding carbon and low-alloy steels, tensile strength, at break which reaches up to 46 kgf / sq. mm.

"LEZMR"- indicates the brand of the electrode and the manufacturer (in this case, this is Losinoostrovksky Electrode Plant, and the brand of the electrode is MP-3C).

«Ø» - a symbol indicating the diameter of the electrode (the diameter itself is indicated elsewhere on the package).

"UD"- a combination indicating the purpose of the electrode.

- "U" - indicates the possibility of welding carbon and low-alloy steels, the tensile strength of which reaches a value of 588 MPa, or 60 kgf / sq. mm.

- "D" – indicates the coefficient of coating thickness, in this case, it is a thick coating of 1.45

"E"– index indicating the consumable coating of the electrode.

"43"- a value indicating the tensile strength (value 43 corresponds to a value of 430 MPa, or 44 kgf / sq. mm.).

"one"- indicates elongation, the value "1" corresponds to an indicator of 20%.

"(3)"- this designation indicates the minimum temperature at which the impact strength of the weld metal must be at least 32 J / sq. cm, the value "3" corresponds to a temperature of -20 ° C.

"RC"- a value indicating the type of coating, in this case, the combination "RC" indicates a rutile-cellulose coating.

"13"- a combination indicating the permissible spatial positions, welding current and open circuit voltage. In this case, "1" corresponds to the value "for any spatial position", and the number "3" indicates the possibility of welding with alternating and direct current of reverse polarity, as well as the XX (idle) voltage of about 50V.

Approximately in this way the electrodes are marked. To decipher the designations of the electrodes, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the detailed information and all the possible designations that are found in the electrodes.

Electrode type. So, for manual arc welding or surfacing, the electrode marking will always begin with the value "E". For welding carbon and low alloy steels, the electrode type marking will consist of three values. From the letter "E", a number that indicates the tensile strength, and the letter "A", which indicates that the weld metal has increased ductility and toughness.

For welding heat-resistant or high-alloy steels, as well as for surfacing, the type of electrode may have additional symbols indicating the percentage of other chemical elements.

Electrode brand. In this case, each type of electrode can correspond to one or several brands.

Electrode diameter. The value of the electrode diameter will correspond to the diameter of the metal rod of this electrode.

The purpose of the electrode. In this case, it is enough to be guided by the table below.

Coating thickness factor. This value indicates the ratio between the diameter of the electrode coating and the diameter of the metal rod. Depending on this, the value of the coefficient will correspond to the following values:

A group of indices indicating the characteristics of the weld metal, or the deposited metal. For electrodes that are used in welding carbon and low alloy steels (tensile strength of which is up to 588 MPa).

And so let's talk about how you can decipher the brands of electrodes of various types.

First of all, you need to pay attention to his guest, abbreviated from the word "State Standard". For example, let's take one of the brands of electrodes and consider it in more detail. Further, I will write everything as it should be. Our experimental electrode will be called "blue" in the common people, but in fact what it is called. .

Electrodes are produced for various types of welding and metals, respectively, and are marked differently. And how to choose electrodes and brands to determine exactly what we need. Let's start with a little theory. Brands can be divided into several categories. For cutting, for surfacing, for welding non-ferrous metals, etc. But we can talk about this for a long time. Further, the electrodes can be subdivided according to state standards, types, and so on. Well, everything is in order. And so there is a brand, let's decipher it.

• The type of electrode is marked in orange.
• In yellow, we have the brand of the electrode.
• Green is the diameter of the electrode (if several diameters of the same brand are produced, it is written elsewhere).
• In the red square we have the purpose and thickness of the electrode coating.
• In black, the sign is that it is an index.
• In graphite color, the index itself. (you can write about indexes separately)
• In blue, this is a type of coverage.
• In the pink square, the two different values ​​are the welding positions and the recommended current.

Now let's break down what we wrote above.

Electrode type.

• E - Electrode.
• 46 - Tensile strength kgf / mm 2 in other words, what kind of load can withstand after welding with this electrode, namely 46 kilograms per square millimeter. kgf is a kilogram of force. mm2 - square 1mm -1mm - 1mm. I think everything is clear here. Move on.

• The stamp contains the short name of the manufacturer's plant, this is the Losinoostrovsky Electrode Plant and the MP-3C brand itself.

Electrode diameter.

• If the diameter is not indicated, but only an icon, then it is written on the seal. There is also a table of what other diameters electrodes are produced.

Purpose and thickness of the coating.

• U - Designated as - Electrode for welding carbon and low alloy steel.
• D - Says that we have an electrode with a thick coating. I will describe all the designations below.

Electrode index.

• He tells us the characteristics of the metal for welding with these electrodes. All this can be viewed according to GOST 9467-75. Tear resistance, impact strength and a few more parameters are all according to GOST.

• There are two letters in this brand of electrodes RC and it means - R salvage and C cellulose. Of course, I will write more about the types of coverage.

• And so the number one tells us that we can cook with these electrodes in all spatial positions. Both bottom up, top down, ceiling, vertical, etc.

And now let's look at everything in more detail. I think there are no problems with the type and brands. We are interested in what all these letters and numbers mean.

Designations of electrodes according to the thickness of the coating.

• M - Thin coating
• C - Medium coverage
• D - Thick coating
• G - With extra thick coating.

Position designations for welding.

All welding electrodes are marked and intended. It contains all the information about the electrode itself, such as its composition, and sometimes even the manufacturer. Understanding all these designations, you can always independently select the required materials for the connection.

First of all, it is always worth checking whether the selected electrode meets state standards. To do this, the package must have the inscription "GOST" and a few numbers after it.

If all this is present, you can safely continue choosing welding electrodes, selecting them according to other indicators, without fear of fakes and low-quality goods.

The electrode is made in the form of a rod, it can be either metal or made of other materials, depending on its purpose. And just do its purpose - is the supply of current to the place of welding. Therefore, an experienced welder will always pay attention to the electrical conductivity of the material. For the production of electrodes, it is customary to use wire, which includes alloys with varying degrees of alloying.

It is worth paying attention to the outer coating. It is applied to provide protection from external irritants such as nitrogen or oxygen. Other advantages of the coating include maintaining the stability of the welding arc and removing possible impurities - they can be in the molten metal.

Consider several components that ensure the quality of the electrode coating:

1. manganese ore.
2. titanium concentrate.
3. Quartz sand.
4. Kaolin.
5. Marble.

The components that create a gas-forming environment include dextrin and flour. The goal of any welding is to provide a quality weld, with corrosion resistance and high strength. To do this, the composition of the electrode must include the following dopants:

• vanadium;
• manganese;
• nickel;
• chromium;
• titanium.

There can be many more, these are just the main ones and the most common ones.

Marking

All electrodes are globally divided into two types: consumable and non-consumable. The former include copper, bronze, steel and copper materials. Uncoated products are sometimes found, it is customary to use them as a wire for connections using a protective gas. And non-consumable are lanthanum tungsten or thoriated electrodes.

By type of coverage

If the product is labeled "A" - this indicates that its coating is acidic, it should be used on steel structures if there is a high level of carbon and sulfur in the metal to be joined.

The letter "B" will indicate that it is forbidden to work with such products in a vertical position - by the way, as is the case with the letters "A" and "P". The letter "C" means that there is no prohibition on any non-standard positions and these electrodes can produce high-quality work in any position. But one drawback was noticed - in the form of excessive spatter and constant control over the temperature of the product.

Another variety is the mixed marking of electrodes for welding, it may look like this: “AC”, “RB”. They have found their main application in the welding of various kinds of structures or pipelines.

Fine marking details

Naturally, this is not all designations. There are many nuances. The first numbers and letters usually indicate the maximum load limit. If there is such a marking: "E41" - this means that the parts that have been welded will be able to withstand a load of 41 kilograms per 1 square mm. There are also other options to characterize the welded product:

1. "U" - shows that you can safely work with low-alloy and carbon steels;
2. "T" and "B" - it is possible to connect high-alloy and heat-resistant steel;
3. "L" - work with alloyed structural alloys;
4. "H" - useful in case of surfacing a layer with any properties.

Designation of coating layer thickness:

• "M" - thin;
• "D" - thick;
• "C" - average;
• "G" - maximum.

The numbers at the end of the marking are written to understand the spatial position of the products and the current value that is recommended to be used in this case.

More:

• "1" - parts can be welded in any position;
• "2" - except for the position from top to bottom;
• "3" - ceiling orientation restrictions are added to the second option;
• "4" - only for the lower seams.

In addition, the box with the products may be labeled that there is a fragile product inside, which should not be subjected to moisture tests. All these markings are easy to decipher even on an intuitive level, having a general knowledge of welding. This will greatly facilitate the search for the required material for welding.

Why is labeling necessary? What does the number or letter in the marking mean? These and many other questions are often asked by beginner welders. In this article, we will tell you how to decipher the inscriptions on the packaging, we will teach you to understand the details of the markings and their features.

By diameter

The following numbers are the rod diameter measured in millimeters. The diameter is selected based on the thickness of the metal to be welded. The thicker, the larger the diameter. In our example, this is 5 mm.

By appointment

Also, electrodes can be designed for various metals. In our example, this is the letter "U", it means that it is possible to weld low-alloy steel with a tensile strength of 60 kgf per millimeter square. If such steel has a higher tensile strength, then use electrodes marked with the letter “L”. Electrodes for welding heat-resistant steel are designated "T"; for welding steels with special properties, the letter “B” is set, and the rods for surfacing are designated by the letter H.

Coating thickness factor

The next designation is the thickness or otherwise of the coating. In our example, this is "D" (thick coating). But besides this, welding electrodes are also marked with the letter "M" (thin coating), the letter "C" (medium) and the letter "G" (very thick).

By index group

This is one of the most difficult markings, beginners often do not understand it, because several numbers contain many characteristics at once. Usually, a group of indices is written on the package with electrodes for welding high alloy steel, so this already makes it easier to understand. Let's take a closer look at what each digit means in our example.

So, number 5 is the resistance of the seam to corrosion. The number 1 is the maximum operating temperature at which the heat resistance is indicated. The number 4 is the working temperature of the seam. The number (4), taken in brackets, indicates how much ferrite phase is in the seam. The larger each number, the correspondingly larger value. Below is a table with the characteristics of the weld metal for welding high alloy steels, after studying it you will understand what each number means.

The symbol for welding electrodes can consist of two parts, and not 3-4 digits, as we said earlier. To an index of 3-4 digits, an index of three digits is added, written with a hyphen and separated by a fraction with the first index. For example, E300 / 32-1. The number 32 indicates the hardness of the metal that can be welded. The number 1 indicates that the hardness of such electrodes is provided without thermal exposure. Sometimes you can see the number 2, it means that the hardness is provided after thermal exposure.

By type of coverage

This is one of the last values ​​in the marking. Like many other characteristics of the electrode, it is indicated by a letter. In our example, the letter "B" (basic coating), but there are also "C" (cellulose), "A" (sour), "P" () and "P" (other). Letters can be connected to indicate special coated electrodes (for example, "RC" stands for rutile cellulosic). If the coating contains iron powder, then the letter “Zh” is additionally put (for example, “BZH” indicates the main coating with iron powder).

By spatial position

Each type of electrode is designed to work in a specific position. In our example, this rod for working in any position, except for , is indicated by the number "2". There is also the number "1" (completely universal), "3" (for working on a vertical plane) and "4" (for the lower ones). These figures correspond to international standards and most of both domestic and foreign materials are marked with them.

According to the characteristics of the welding current

Special markings

You may have noticed that we omitted the letter "E" when talking about the index group. This is a special marking, it means that you have a consumable coated electrode in front of you. It is also an international designation.

Decryption example

To consolidate, consider the decoding of the brand of electrodes using the example of ANO-21.

1: Electrode type (E46, suitable for low-alloy steels with low tensile strength).
2: Mark (ANO-21, respectively).
3: Diameter (in our case 2.5 millimeters).
4: Purpose (letter "U", means for carbon or low alloy steel), etc.

We deliberately did not finish deciphering the markings for you to do it yourself. Write down the rest of the numbers from the photo on a piece of paper and decipher. Deciphering the marking only at first glance seems so complicated, in fact, it is enough to do it yourself once to understand the whole point. You can take several different packages from under the electrodes and write the entire transcript yourself to practice.

Instead of a conclusion

Now you know what the letter and number mean in the marking of electrode types. For beginners, marking electrodes for welding often seems confusing and incomprehensible, but we hope that we were able to explain everything in detail. With marking selection of electrodes for

For each welding mode, you need to select the appropriate type of electrode. Not only the ability to make a connecting or surfacing depends on this, but also the quality. Therefore, a certain marking of electrodes for welding was developed. Any specialist in it will be able to determine the purpose, material of manufacture and optimal operating modes.

Regulations

The creation of uniform rules for marking electrodes is necessary to standardize the products of various manufacturers. For this, GOST 9466-75 was developed, which, in addition to technical requirements, indicates the procedure and rules for designating certain types of electrodes.

First of all, it is necessary to consider the accepted form of filling in certain characteristics. It is a multi-block structure, each of the sections of which corresponds to a certain category.

1. Electrode type. The first letter "E" denotes the name of the product, the subsequent figure - the value of the tensile strength, kgf / mm².
2. Mark. Contains information about the manufacturer and directly the brand of electrodes.
3. Diameter.
4. Destination area.

1. Top Coat Thickness

1. An index indicating the characteristics of the metal being welded. It must comply with the data from GOST 9467-75. It provides a detailed breakdown of each of the possible designations.
2. Type of coverage.

For mixed types of coatings, a double designation is adopted, for example, BR (BR) - rutile-basic.

1. Permitted welding direction positions.

1. Indicates the nature of the current, its polarity and the nominal value of the voltage.
2. Reference to GOST 9466-75, according to which the marking was made.
3. Link to the normative document for the manufacture of electrodes.

In addition to these parameters, additional characteristics are indicated. They are necessary to indicate the appearance and specifics of the design.

Knowing all of the above symbols, you can choose the optimal brand of electrodes for a particular type of work.