Inputs
How it is calculated
- Covered: EN ISO 2560-A (electrodes for non-alloy and fine-grain steels), AWS A5.1, AWS A5.18, EN ISO 14341-A (MAG wires), EN ISO 14175 (gases) and EN ISO 4063 process numbers.
- Not covered yet: flux-cored wires (EN ISO 17632), TIG rods (EN ISO 636), SAW fluxes and filler metals for stainless steel or aluminium.
- For wire composition (3Si1, 4Si1) I show the published values; for other symbols I point to the standard tables. Equivalences between systems (for example G3Si1 and ER70S-6) are the ones that usually appear on data sheets, not a guarantee of interchangeability.
An informative tool, not a WPS. A welding procedure is specified, qualified and approved according to the standards in force, by competent personnel. The calculations here are engineering estimates made with published formulas; they do not replace the manufacturer data sheet, the material certificate, the qualified procedure or the design check.
Frequently asked questions
What does “E 42 0 RR 12” mean?
Covered electrode (E), yield strength ≥ 420 MPa (42), impact energy 47 J at 0 °C (0), thick rutile covering (RR), efficiency ≤ 105 % on AC and DC (1) and all positions except vertical-down (2). The AWS equivalent is usually E6013.
What is the difference between E 42 and E7018?
They are two systems: EN ISO 2560-A classifies by yield strength and impact energy, AWS A5.1 by tensile strength in ksi, position and covering type. Basic electrodes, for example, appear as “E 42 5 B 32 H5” in EN and “E7018” in AWS.
What gas is “M21”?
A mixture of argon with 15–25 % CO₂ (EN ISO 14175, group M2, moderately oxidising), widely used for MAG on carbon steel. Argon can be partly or fully replaced by helium.
Sources and method
The formulas, tables and verification examples come from public sources, listed below. The standards themselves are paid documents and are not reproduced: I cite the formulas and values published by these sources and, where sources differ, I say so.
- ELGA: Guide to EN ISO 2560-A (symbol tables)
- TWI: Welding consumables, part 3 (EN ISO 2560 and AWS A5.1)
- BIL-IBS: standards for designating gases and filler metals (EN ISO 14341, 14175, 636)
- EWM: Overview of the shielding gas groups (ISO 14175)
- Gedik Welding: ELIT rutile electrode data sheet (E 42 0 RR 12 / E6013), weights per 100 pieces