With so much talk and expectations about repairing the infrastructure in the United States, it's reasonable to predict opportunities for heavy-duty welding projects on the horizon. That will mean new products in the consumables market to help projects like bridge and pipeline replacements proceed faster and more cost effectively.

Lincoln Electric Intros Self-Shielded Flux-Cored Wire for Pipe Welding

Lincoln Electric Co. (www.lincolnelectric.com) introduced the new Pipeliner NR-208P, self-shielded and flux-cored wire to its line of Pipeliner consumables. Specifically designed for the rigorous demands of the global pipe welding industry, this wire provides superior performance with high deposition rates, allow it to carry and deposit weld metal with ease even for vertical down pipe and out-of-position welding applications, the company said.

The Pipeliner NR-208P provides the portability of stick electrode and the productivity of a wire, ideal for overcoming the typical challenges of pipeline welding, such as remote locations and extreme weather conditions. These consumables can handle up to X80 grade pipe and are recommended for hot, fill and cap-pass welding procedures.

The new wire has been tested and has the capability of handling the low-temperature, impact-toughness requirements of cross-country pipe welding applications. Each lot of Pipeliner NR-208P consumables are tested to exceed -20 degrees C (-20 degrees F). All Pipeliner NR-208 consumables are manufactured and certified according to lot control standards, per AWS A5.29 Class T1 Schedule I, said Lincoln Electric.

Hobart Brothers' Self-Shielded Flux-Cored Wire to Reduce Rework, Speed Production

Hobart Brothers (www.hobartbrothers.com) now offers its Fabshield XLR-8 self-shielded flux-cored wire to improve productivity on demanding heavy equipment, barge or tank fabrication, and for field repairs. Fabshield XLR-8 wire also excels in structural steel erection, construction and ship fabrication applications, and offers high deposition rates and good impact strength, along with the most reliable out-of-position welding capabilities of any T-8 self-shielded flux-cored sire in its class, said the company.

Hobart Brothers formulated XLR-8 wire with low diffusible hydrogen levels — less than 6.7 ml per 100g of weld deposit — to ensure it provides X-Ray quality welds with grater crack resistance than competitive wires. Also, unlike competitive wires, XLR-8 wire offers a large voltage window and is particularly well suited for vertical-up welds at high current levels, improving operator appeal and increasing productivity. The wire has the “D” designator under AWS A5.20.2005, making it usable for strict AWS D1.8 Demand Critical welds, and it can further improve productivity by replacing AWS 7018 stick electrodes in certain applications.

The XLR-8 wire eliminates slag entrapment associated with older generations of T-8 wire and offers high-impact strength at low temperatures to resist cracking and minimize rework that slows production. The wire also offers a stable arc and a flat bead profile.