Welding wire helps eliminate waste and improve performance

A quarry in Carnforth, Lancashire, operated by Tarmac Quarry Products, has found that changing to an ESAB welding wire has eliminated the wire-feed problems that were previously being experienced.

In addition, by using the OK Tubrodur 15.60 wire to hardface the blow bars of an impact crusher, intervals between re-facings have been increased. The previous welding wire had a coating which caused the wire-feed mechanism of the welder to jam, resulting in as much wire being discarded as was being used.

ESAB recommended the OK Tubrodur 15.60 self-shielded tubular electrode and subsequent tests showed that the wire fed far more easily and was easier to work with. The impact crusher uses rotating hammers to crush dolomitic limestone. As deposited, the OK Tubrodur 15.60 has a hardness of 22HRC which work-hardens to 52HRC while still retaining its toughness.