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Flux Recovery - Saving Time, Money, and Earth

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Save Flux. Save Money. Save the Earth.

Submerged arc welding is a practice by which the welder or welding machine submerges the weld in a substance such as an inert gas or flux in order to prevent oxygen in the air from chemically interacting with and burning the weld. The advantage in using flux over an inert gas is that different types of flux can produce different qualities and attributes in the weld.

The problem with using flux is that it is costly and is using up the earth's resources(as it is a composite of earth materials). However, at least 50% of the flux deposited over a weld is completely unused and can be recovered. This can be done by hand, but is much more cost and time effective when performed by a flux recovery machine.

Weld Engineering Co., Inc.

Weld Engineering Co., Inc. is the leading manufacturer of the most complete line of submerged arc welding flux handling equipment. They specialize in standard and heavy duty flux recovery systems, pressure feed tanks, pressure feed and recovery systems, heated automatic flux mixing systems, and flux re-bake and holding ovens.

Flux Recovery in Action!

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Standard Duty Flux Recovery

Up to 300 Lb. Weld Metal per Week

Standard, 1-arc welding procedures require that there be 2x more flux than welding metal deposited. For every pound of weld metal, a pound of welding flux is fused, melted on top of the metal to provide protection from the air as it cools. This means that under standard conditions, only 50% of flux is used during the process.

If 250 pounds of weld metal is deposited every week, flux is $1.35 a pound, that means that the money saved is...

250*1.35 = $337.50 a week
337.50*50 = $16,875.00 a year

Click here for a selection of standard duty flux recovery equipment.

Heavy Duty Flux Recovery

300 Lb. to 1000 Lb. of Weld Metal per Week

Unlike standard flux recovery which typically only has 1-arc welding, heavy duty applications can sometimes have twin or tandem arcs which require 3x and 3.5x more flux than metal deposited (because the arc is more intense, needing better coverage from the air). Still, for every pound of weld metal, a pound of welding flux is fused. This means that under standard conditions, only 30% of flux is used during the process.

If 500 pounds of weld metal is deposited every week, flux is $1.35 a pound, tandem welding, that means that the money saved is...

500*2.5*1.35 = $1687.50 a week
1687.50*50 = $84,375.00 a year

Click here for a selection of heavy duty flux recovery equipment.

Ultra Heavy Duty / Pipe Mill Flux Recovery

Over 1000 Lb. Weld Metal per Week

Pipe mills weld constantly and require ultra heavy duty flux recovery. Pipe mills can be miles long and run through tens of thousands pounds of welding metal in a week. In addition, they may choose to use an intense 5-arc welding process which requires roughly 10 times more flux than weld metal deposited due to the violent arcs. This means that virtually 90% of the flux is recoverable!

If 8000 pounds of weld metal is deposited every week, flux is $1.35 a pound, 5-arc welding, that means that the money saved is...

8000*9*1.35 = $97,200.00 a week
97200*50 = $4,860,000.00 a year

Click here for a selection of heavy duty flux recovery equipment.

Click here for typical pipe mill flux recovery equipment configurations.

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What do you think about flux recovery systems?

  • Bakersgas Sep 16, 2011 @ 8:30 pm | delete
    Very interesting lens. I found it to be informative and look forward to reading more of your lenses.
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