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Stick Electrodes Packaged for How Welders Work

Nothing is wasted with 4-lb vacuum-sealed packages, which don’t need any special storage conditions.

Posted: January 20, 2020

Esab’s 7018-1 Prime low-hydrogen stick electrodes eliminate the need for a coating to control moisture reabsorption that leads to cracking in thick structural steels or porosity in stainless or nick-base weld metal. Particularly suitable for welding high-strength low-alloy steels (HSLA), they also eliminate costly climate-controlled storage in applications such as offshore fabrication.

Available in all diameters from 3/32 in to 5/32 in and 14-in lengths, Esab Welding & Cutting Products’ (Annapolis Junction, MD) 7018-1 Prime low-hydrogen stick electrodes (AWS E7018-1 H4R) come in cartons of six 4-lb vacuum-sealed packages.

Why 4 lbs each? “Because the average welder consumes 3 lbs to 5 lbs per shift,” says Product Business Manager – Filler Metals Halinson Campos. “Compared to the standard 50-lb cans, VacPac reduces or eliminates the need to scrap unused electrodes at the end of the day or re-bake them in a rod oven.”

The VacPacs have unlimited shelf life and don’t require special warehouse conditions provided their aluminum foil wrapping isn’t damaged.

While new to the U.S., 7018-1 Prime is sold in Canada, the European Union, Middle East, and Asia under the brand name OK 55.00. The electrodes provide good slag release, weld puddle control, and a higher deposition rate. Operators can weld faster without sacrificing out-of-position performance. A graphite coating on the end of the electrode improves arc initiation. Applications include power generation, structural steel, offshore, pressure vessel fabrication, petrochemical industry, food processing, and other industries where the prevention of cold cracking or porosity is crucial.

The -1 designation indicates Charpy V-notch properties measured at lower temperatures. The electrode provides as-welded impact values of 78 ft-lbs at -50 degrees F and 168 ft-lbs at -20 degrees F. Electrodes with a -1 designation may also be used when procedures call for a standard E7018 electrode, but not vice versa.

The electrode carries the H4R designation, indicating less than 4 ml of diffusible hydrogen per 100 g of deposited weld. They can be used straight out of the package without the need to bake or store them temporarily in holding ovens or quivers to meet low-hydrogen requirements. Designed for moisture resistances, H4R electrodes also have less than 0.4% moisture absorption after 12 hours of exposure at 80 degrees F and 80% relative humidity.

Esab Welding & Cutting Products, 2800 Airport Road, Denton, TX 76207, 800-372-2123, www.esab.com.