Analogues of Esab and Lincoln Electric welding materials

Rating of the best welding electrodes in 2022
Welding electrodes are metal rods with or without special coating. Each type of electrode is used for its own purpose.

Coated consumable electrodes are used for welding steel, cast iron and stainless steel. Non-consumable electrodes, such as tungsten, are used to form the edges of welded parts.

This site review will present a rating of the best welding electrodes in 2022.

OK 48.04

A high-tech electrode that produces a high-quality seam with high impact strength. Used for welding rigid structures where high welding stresses cannot be avoided. It has a slightly higher deposition rate than OK 48.00, and the deposited metal has higher strength properties. However, welding in vertical and overhead positions is somewhat more difficult to perform with them. In addition, welding can be carried out both on direct current of reverse and direct polarity, and on alternating current. The coating is characterized by increased moisture resistance, and the deposited metal is resistant to cracking. Current: alternating, direct +(-)

Domestic range of welding electrodes and their analogues from ESAB

Many welders will agree that the reliability and strength of the welded joint depends not only on the skills of the welder, the welding source and the technical characteristics of the metals, but also on the quality of the welding materials - mainly electrodes. Nowadays, there are a huge number of competing manufacturers and brands on the welding materials market, so in this abundance of offers, welders and buyers of production organizations often purchase domestically produced welding materials. Firstly, since the times of the USSR, the nomenclature has practically not changed and the names of the electrodes and wires have remained the same as 20 years ago, thus a welder who is over 40 will certainly know where to use this or that electrode with the Soviet abbreviation. Secondly, domestic materials are often cheaper than their European counterparts. But, what is familiar and seemingly cheaper is not always profitable. Unfortunately, not all domestic manufacturers can boast of the high quality of their products. Therefore, we would like to invite you to familiarize yourself with the welding materials of the time-tested Swedish concern ESAB - electrodes, wire, rods and equipment, which can be found at the best industrial enterprises in the country, as well as in areas controlled by Gazprom.

In order to better navigate the variety of ESAB welding materials, we have prepared convenient tables where you can choose an analogue of a domestic electrode based on the type of deposited metal from a Swedish manufacturer. For convenience, we have added links to the diameters of the electrodes - thereby you can familiarize yourself with the description and characteristics of Esab electrodes in more detail and, if necessary, place an order.

Links to tables of analogues of domestic electrodes:

• Electrodes for welding difficult-to-weld steels and dissimilar welded joints
• Electrodes for welding cast iron and nickel-based alloys
• Electrodes for welding copper and its alloys
• Electrodes for welding aluminum and its alloys
• Electrodes for gouging and cutting
• Electrodes for surfacing and repairing parts made of manganese, tool and heat-resistant steels
• Electrodes for welding carbon and low-alloy
• Electrodes for welding alloyed, high-strength and heat-resistant steels
• Electrodes for welding stainless heat-resistant steels

Electrodes for welding difficult-to-weld steels and dissimilar welded joints

Electrodes for welding cast iron and nickel-based alloys

Electrodes for welding copper and its alloys

Electrodes for welding aluminum and its alloys

Electrodes for gouging and cutting

Electrodes for surfacing and repairing parts made of manganese, tool and heat-resistant steels

Electrodes for welding alloyed, high-strength and heat-resistant steels

Electrodes for welding stainless and heat-resistant steels

Electrodes for welding carbon and low-alloy steels

OK 53.70

Electrode with low hydrogen content for single-sided welding of pipes and general purpose structures. Provides high quality welding of the root pass with the formation of a return bead. It has a large penetration depth and forms a flat seam with an easily removable slag crust. A well-balanced slag system ensures a stable arc and allows easy welding in all spatial positions. Recommended for welding filler and lining passages of pipe joints with strength class up to API 5LX56 and root passes with strength class up to API 5LX70. Current: alternating, direct +(-)

Welding nuances

When using this type of electrodes, they must be pre-calcined for at least one hour at high temperature. This is due to the fact that the electrode coating is highly hygroscopic, and calcination will help remove excess moisture.

The edges of the surfaces to be joined must be cleaned of existing dirt and grease stains. Welding can be carried out without preheating the surfaces. The length of the arc should be short, not exceeding three millimeters. The strength of the current depends on the position in space.

After completing the welding process, it is necessary to clean the edges from the resulting slag. To relieve residual stresses in the weld body, it is recommended to carry out heat treatment by heating in a special furnace for some time, after which the joint should be cooled directly in the furnace.

Characteristics

Domestic rod analogues of OK-46 SEOK-46, E46 are certified by the National Academy of Compliance Control (NAKS) . Used for welding carbon steels, including those with galvanic coating with a layer of zinc.

The main technical parameters are identical:

• Welding without spatial restrictions.
• Use of direct and alternating current (AC/DC) sources.
• Arc burning is stable.
• Spattering is moderate.
• The seam is not prone to fatigue deformation.
• Initial ignition, repeat after arc interruption without difficulty.
• Convenient for working with thin-walled structures, making short seams and tacks.
• Tolerant of insufficient metal cleaning and slight rust deposits.
• Available in Ø 1.6–5 mm.
• Size range 300–450 mm.
• Suitable for welding wide gaps.
• The no-load current of 50 A allows the use of household sources with voltage fluctuations.
• The inclination of the electrode is allowed within 350.
• Porosity only appears when the welder makes mistakes in selecting the current or ignoring drying.
• The vulnerability of rutile coating to dampness requires calcination at 1000 C.
• Easy slag removal.
• The rod is made of low-carbon steel SV-08, which has become a limitation in welding alloy steels.

An analogue of the OK-46 electrode for an equivalent replacement is OZS 12 . The quality of the connecting seam is lower for OZS 6. Group ANO 4 (6; 29M; 23), MR-3 for critical connections of pipelines and loaded structures have a number of limitations.

Rutile coating is technologically advanced. Coagulation of titanates in the upper layer of the weld pool accelerates the increase in slag viscosity. Magnesium and calcium bicarbonates and aluminosilicates bind silicon and oxygen, causing hot cracking and a decrease in impact strength.

Technical characteristics and welding features of different brands of the same type of electrode do not coincide.

Table for selecting operating current for electrodes E46 GOST 9467 75

Results and conclusions

Well, now you have learned everything you need to know about this model. When purchasing this product, you should make sure that the electrodes are not illegal. The only confirmation of originality is a certificate, which you can ask the seller to show.

We recommend that you do not purchase this model, like all welding materials, in basement stores, because most likely there is high humidity in their warehouses.

It would be interesting to know what models, in addition to the TsU-5, do you use for welding? Your comments below will surely be helpful for beginners. Good luck in job!