As we know, stainless steel is one of the most used materials and has the greatest corrosion resistance, not only for its antioxidant properties, but also for its resistance to external agents.
However, one of the keys to achieving better resistance and perfect finishes lies in the way it is installed and in the way of welding the steel stainless.
Before starting
Like all physical and risky work, such as welding and construction work, it is crucial that we take care of ourselves and look after our safety. Therefore, it is always advisable to use protective equipment that helps to ensure our safety at all times.
That's why we recommend that you always wear suitable protective equipment such as welding gloves, protective masks, welder's suit, and special boots.
How to weld stainless steel?
Once you have the right welding equipment that will protect you from any inconvenience or the hard work that can represent welding a material like stainless steel, we present some tips to achieve a welding technique that improves your processes.
1. The pre-cleaning process
Before starting to weld, it's important that you clean the surfaces well, both of work and of the stainless steel metal.
If our environment and the place where we work is clean and tidy, external agents that may remain in the welding, such as dust, metal pieces or welds, will not adhere to the metals or the welding itself.
On the other hand, clean steel will always be synonymous with a much more efficient welding technique. Use a brush that can remove any external trace to ensure that your components are correctly joined.
2. Pre-welding
Secondly, secure the pieces to be welded, with fixings or mounts such as wood or other pieces that help your fragments not to move during the welding process.
This will give you greater precision and that when fixing them they do not move and you end up doing double work, in addition to ensuring that the finishes and the functions of the material itself are much more efficient when finishing the work in its entirety, also ensuring a longer lifespan of the product.
Many people may skip this process, as it may seem like more effort, but it is always important to secure our joints and avoid extra efforts or losses.
3. Heating process
The heating process refers to the welding itself, this is the most crucial process. First, you should heat the piece or pieces to be joined, with a simple flame it will be enough. The area should be pre-heated before using the rod.
It is essential that you heat the opposite joint, if you do it the other way around, you will heat the flux and the weld. When you see bubbles with a brown tone, that's the time to apply the wire or the rod. Once there is movement and fluidity in the wire, then it is time to remove the wire itself from the stainless steel.
4. Remove the flux
The remaining flux must be removed to avoid damage and to make it look much more aesthetic. For this, we recommend using hot water and with the help of a wire brush remove as much flux as you can.
The flux can be corrosive and dangerous for the pieces, which leaves a possibility that the oxidation process is much faster in stainless steel, hence the importance of removing it.
5. Post-cleaning
Once a minimum time has passed and the welding and metals have dried and hardened, you can clean the welding and the pieces as such again. We recommend using the same brush from the pre-cleaning.
Some people also recommend painting the welded surfaces, as many times they can be finished, blackened or burned, which takes away total aesthetics. A little spray paint is more than enough.
The welding process is important when finishing the work or in the construction of materials and finishes of stainless steel, so you should not take it lightly.
Practice makes perfect and the more you have the opportunity to practice welding the faster, you will become an expert making your work much faster and in such a way that the welds are not even noticeable.
Remember that at Ulbrinox® we are suppliers of stainless steel and aluminum and we are one of the most valuable in Mexico, know our products or visit our blog to learn more about the properties, the advantages and disadvantages and the good practices for stainless steel.
