Hobart Offers New Gas-Shielded, Flux-Cored Wires
Hobart Brothers LLC (Troy, OH) has introduced a new gas-shielded, flux-cored wire, FabCO® 91K2-M, to accompany its reformulated FabCO 91K2-C wire.
Posted: December 18, 2021
“These new wires provide operators with the versatility to work within a wider range of welding parameters without sacrificing quality or mechanical properties,” said Derick Railling, product manager, critical welds for Hobart. “They also offer excellent impact toughness to reduce the risk of cracking in critical applications.”
The FabCO 91K2-M wire is classified to the same specification as an E91T1-K2M J H4 wire for use with 75 to 80 percent argon/balance CO2 shielding gas mixtures. The FabCO 91K2-C wire is classified to American Welding Society (AWS) A5.29 Specification for Low-Alloy Steel Electrodes for Flux-Cored Arc Welding as an E91T1-K2C J H4 wire for use with 100 percent CO2 shielding gas.
Both wires feature an H4 designation, indicating they produce a weld deposit with a very low diffusible hydrogen content, which is desirable when welding higher-strength steels. Both wires also feature a “J” designation that indicates enhanced low temperature toughness requirements. However, the wires have been developed to exceed classification requirements for test temperature and absorbed energy. Hobart added that users can typically expect good toughness at temperatures as low as –76° F.
The two wires offer a fast-freezing slag that helps produce flat weld contours, even when welding out of position, and they have low spatter levels to reduce post-weld cleanup. Easy slag removal minimizes the opportunity for inclusions in multi-pass welds, along with the associated downtime and cost for rework. A stable arc transfer results in smooth weld beads with uniform fusion.