GMAW Filler Materials
Unit 1 Lesson 4
GMAW filler material
Selection of the material that is to be
manufactured into filler wire for
GMAW is based on several factors:
 Chemical composition
 Mechanical properties
 Notch toughness values
 Impurity level limits
GMAW filler material
Manufactures make filler material for 3 major areas:
 General Use- This material will meet requirements of
specifications but no records of composition or strength level is
furnished.
 Rigid Control Use- Used in the fabrication of products that
require control over the filler material. May require a Certificate
of Conformance, a document that certifies that the material meets
all required specifications.
 Critical Use- Used in welding operations that require very tight
control of filler metals chemical composition. Such as the
fabrication of aircraft, nuclear reactors, and pressure vessels.
GMAW filler material
GMAW wires are manufacture in standards sizes. .035 and .045
diameter wires are considered the most commonly used.
GMAW wire is wound on
spools of plastic, wood,
or metal or is coiled
inside drums. The 12 inch
spool is most common
and usually holds about
33lbs of wire.
GMAW Electrode Classification
ERXXS-X
E- Electrode
R- Rod (also used as designation for GTAW filler).
XX- Multiply by 1000 for minimum specified tensile strength
S- Solid wire
X- Chemical composition
Common wire classification for carbon steel- ER70S-2
Common wire classification for stainless steel- ER308
Common wire classification for aluminium- ER4043
Carbon Steel electrodes
All filler metals for carbon steel contain alloying elements such
as silicon, manganese, aluminum, and carbon. The purpose
for these alloys are:
Silicon- .40% - 1% added to deoxidise the puddle and
strengthen the weld. Over 1% can cause weld cracking.
Manganese- 1-2% also deoxidises and strengthens the weld
and decreases hot cracking.
Aluminum- Small amounts to aid in deoxidising and increases
strength.
Carbon- .05%-.12% adds strength without affecting
mechanical properties.
Stainless Steel Electrodes
Stainless steel filler metals are available in
either a wire reel, flat strips, or in rod
form.
Filler metals for stainless steel should be
selected to closely match the
composition of the base material.
Stainless fillers also require the use of
special shielding gas mixtures. Such as
mixes of helium, argon and CO2.
Aluminum electrodes
The most widely used
aluminum filler metals are
ER4043 and ER5356.
Aluminum filler metals are
designed to weld specific
types of aluminum and
should be selected for
compatibility.
Aluminum filler metals usually
contain other alloys to
increase weld strength.