Superior products, extensive technical expertise and customer support

Welding Alloys manufacture an extensive range of consumables that provide wear protection in a range of applications in various industries. We are the experts in hardfacing and offer dedicated solutions to solve precise wear problems, providing products that will increase the service life of components and reduce the total cost of ownership.

But this is not all we do. At Welding Alloys, we have a teams of technical experts located throughout the globe that are willing and ready to support customers, not only to select the best consumable for their requirements, but also to support them with questions they might have about the consumable or the welding procedure. We can provide the technical advice to customers, which is where partnering with Welding Alloys offers added value.

Recently, Welding Alloys was approached by a customer operating in the rail industry, working specifically on the repair and maintenance of rails. The customer was having difficulty hardfacing the crossings and as a result, the weld detached from the base material. The customer contacted Welding Alloys and sent photos of the problem to seek support in understanding what caused this to happen and enquire about what welding procedure could have prevented it.

The team at Welding Alloys had a great technical understanding of the problem the customer was facing and were able to provide the customer with a quick response and advice regarding the issue. The customer was not using the correct welding procedure when hardfacing the crossings, which was causing problems with the weld. Not only must one select the right consumable for this type of job, but getting the welding procedure correct is also equally important.

As Welding Alloys have specific welding consumables dedicated to hardfacing crossings, the team could provide the customer with a suggestion of what consumable would provide the best results. They also provided the customer with details of the correct welding procedure for our HARDFACE AP-O 1.6mm wire – providing them with the necessary product and information that would allow the job to be done right.

In order to get the expected impact resistance, it is important that the correct welding procedure is applied:

• Grind / gouge away the work-hardened layer of the base metal to prevent cracking in the interface between the weld metal and base metal.
• Avoid overheating the base metal
• No preheating
• Avoid continuous welding and if possible apply water cooling
• Make sure to keep low interpass temperature (<150°C)
• Keep low heat input (kJ/mm)

If using HARDFACE AP-O ø1.6mm, below you can find the typical welding parameters for this type wire. Using our hardfacing consumable and ensuring the correct parameters are used will result in a long lasting solution.

• Wire speed = 5-6 m/min Intensity = 170-180 A Voltage = 26-27 V Stick-out = 20mm Welding speed = 50 cm/min Polarity = DC+ (DC- would also be suitable)

The use of flux cored wire results in a higher quality weld and also a lower heat input. This combined with the technical expertise, advice and availability from the team at Welding Alloys means that our customers always get the best solution and support when partnering with Welding Alloys.