Stainless Mig Welding Wires

Which Stainless MIG welding wire grade should you use?

-308Lsi wire is commonly used to weld austenitic steels such as 18/8, 304 & 321. 308 has a high silicon content, offering a fluid weld pool and good corrosion resistance.

-316lsi is a molybdenum stainless with a low carbon content. A popular wire as it offers a bright, aesthetically pleasing finish and boasts a superior corrosion resistance. 

-309Lsi known as a dissimilar and is used to weld mild steel or low alloyed steel to stainless steel and offers the opportunity to lay buffer layers of weld. Has sound corrosion resistance.

-312 is used for difficult to weld steels and carbon steel to stainless steel joining. It has a high resistance to weld cracking and offers high yield strength, coupled to excellent corrosion resistance. 

They key is to identify the parent stainless material of the product to be welded, assessing the diameter, the finish required & the application. Our technical team can advise you on the stainless grades, argon gas mixtures & MIG machine set up.

Traceability & test certification of Stainless Steel MIG wires.

Our stainless MIG range comes with a quality guarantee and is sourced from well known brands Esab &  Bohler Welding . You'll never have to worry about the integrity of your welding wire or traceability, all product being available with test certification.

Argon Gas mixture & Torch liner changes required for Stainless MIG welding

Don't forget to change your shielding Argon/Co 2 gas mixture from 95% argon/ 5% Co2 mix to a 97.5/2.5% mix for better results. Helium can also be added to mix, when welding with a standard MIG set up. When using the pulse procees, lean towards more argon in the mix. Ask your gas supplier for advice on mixtures. Don't forget your MIG torch set up should also change with a carbon teflon liner, ideally suited to running stainless MIG wires.

The advantage of the Pulse MIG process when welding with stainless steel wires

Stainless is prone to warping due to it's thermal conductivity properties. The pulse MIG process is ideally suited as it controls heat output and helps reduce distortion. This is especially important when welding thin materials.

The process also offers faster travel speeds & better control of the weld pool, meaning less spatter, more penetration & less post weld clean up. 

A quality MIG set such as the Miller Migmatic 300iP synergic Pulse MIG is ideally suited to welding with stainless steel wires, with the added bonus of reduced weld fume.

PPE for stainless MIG welding 

Although, all welding fume is regarded as a carcinogen, Stainless MIG welding generates a higher chromium & nickel fume content as apposed to welding mild steel. Ensure your all fabricators wear an air fed welding helmet and that welding fume extraction is in place.