| After more than two years of collaborative research and development between PISI and Jiangyou Changcheng Special Steel (Jiangyou Changcheng), the issue of "pipe shrinkage" in welding wire electrode rod has been successfully resolved. The qualification rate of the blank has increased by 28 percentage, laying a solid foundation for improving the quality and efficiency of Jiangyou Changcheng's welding wire steel products.
GHSC-80 welding wire steel is a low-carbon alloy steel primarily used for welding in special equipment. Following vacuum induction melting for preparing electrode rods, the blank can result in long shrinkage holes during forging and breakdown, commonly known as "pipe shrinkage." This can significantly impact the qualification rate of electrode rods, leading to high production costs, and affecting delivery time and material utilization rate.
In recent years, PISI has intensified its collaboration efforts with Jiangyou Changcheng, taking countermeasures to address bottlenecks in the production line. Starting from 2022, the Special Steel Institute of PISI and Jiangyou Changcheng have commenced research into "pipe shrinkage" in welding wire steel. Extensive investigation was conducted into the characteristics of GHSC-80 welding wire steel. Based on the existing vacuum melting equipment and production processes in Jiangyou Changcheng, technical countermeasures such as numerical simulation, enhanced cooling conditions at the bottom of the mould, intensified cap insulation, and optimized electrode rod cooling conditions were implemented without altering the production process or adding equipment. Directional solidification of the electrode rods was achieved, resolving the issue of "pipe shrinkage" in GHSC-80 welding wire steel.
A one-time inspection of the blanks subjected to breakdown and forging suggests a targeted percentage of pass, which has solved the problem of "pipe shrinkage" and ensured delivery deadlines. This breakthrough has not only increased productivity, but also serves as a reference for improving the quality of electrode rods of other steel grades. |