What
are Astec™ 30, Astec™ 50 and Astec™ 75?
Astec
30, Astec 50 and Astec 75 are inert argon/helium
shielding gas mixtures, specifically formulated
for use when MIG and TIG welding a range of stainless
steels and non-ferrous metals.
The benefits of the inert Astec
mixtures
Which Astec?
Astec
30—suitable for MIG and TIG welding of
thin section aluminium, copper and nickel. Also
TIG welding of ferritic and martensitic stainless
steels.
Astec
50—suitable for MIG and TIG welding of
thin section copper. Also nickel and nickel alloy
overlaying applications.
Astec
75—suitable for MIG and TIG welding of
medium and thick section aluminium and copper.
The
technology of MIG and TIG welding with Astec
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Argon bead profile showing
gas entrapment.
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Astec 25 bead profile.
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Argon
provides good arc initiation characteristics, but
the resultant narrow and deep welds can lead to
gas entrapment (porosity) in some non-ferrous applications.
Helium
produces a broader penetration profile and increased
welding speeds due to its higher thermal conductivity
and ionisation potential. However helium has poor
arc initiation characteristics and reduced arc stability
in comparison with argon.
The
positive features of argon and helium have been
combined in the Astec range of shielding gases,
offering easy arc starting, deep penetration with
an optimised penetration profile and reduced porosity
levels.
Ozone reduction
Research
has shown that during the TIG welding of stainless
steel, the Astec range of shielding gases produce
significantly lower levels of ozone than traditional
shielding gas mixtures.
Analysis
Astec
30: 70% Ar, 30% He (EN439 : I3).
Astec 50: 50%
Ar, 50% He (EN439 : I3).
Astec 75: 25%
Ar, 75% He (EN439 : I3).
What
are Astec 30, Astec 50 and Astec 75? is available
in the Portable Document Format (.pdf). To view
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Reader.
Last Update
Friday, February 9, 2007 11:16