Preheat 450 F   Shielding Gas 95% Argon 5% OX ** 25 - 45 CFH   Volts 24 - 30   Amps 220 - 300   Oscillation 5/8" - 3/4"   Deposit   Thickness 3/32" - 1/8" preferred   Preheat 450 - 500 F   Polarity DC Reverse **98% argon, 2% O, may be used as a substitute

Liquidmetal-Armacor MStar provides a hard, slick surface to protect your tool joint and reduce casing wear. Welding parameters stated are a suggested starting point. As every machine will be slightly different, please make the necessary adjustments to achieve a quality weld. For more information click here

The deposit must remain low carbon to achieve the desired results; thus, the surface to be welded must be clean and free of other deposits. Tungsten carbide and chromium carbide must be removed. Hardmetal build-up is controlled by joint rotation speed. Higher amperages may be used for larger joints, e.g. 300 amps for 8.5", provided this can be accomplished without negative impact to the weld bead. For example, at 240 amps, a 6 5/8" tooljoint should complete one rotation in about 2.5 minutes. The volts should be set to yield an arc length slightly in a spray mode.

Bead Shape
Adjust torch angle, distance off center, and speed of travel to yield a bead shape that is flat to slightly convex. Concave beads should be avoided due to susceptibility to center bead cracking.

Cracking
As with most hardfacing materials with bulk hardness exceeding 50 HRH, cross checks often occur after welding. All cracks must run across the weld bead. Cracks running in the direction of the weld are unacceptable.

After welding, cover and allow to slow cool.

The Cooling, Shaping Shoe

Cooling, Shaping Shoe Our patented Cooling, Shaping Shoe is a welding accessory designed to optimize Liquidmetal-Armacor MStar tooljoint hardbanding.

Key Benefits

• Metallurgical Structure - The "shoe" rapidly cools the weld puddle with very low shrinkage, reducing internal stresses and providing a near crack-free to crack-free structure.

• Rebanding - The shoe has demonstrated reband capability for the application of Liquidmetal-Armacor MStar over itself.

• High Hardness - Liquidmetal-Armacor MStar welded with the shoe offers a Rockwell C five to seven points higher than LMC-MStar welded without the shoe.

• Heat Control - Rapid cooling minimizes the heat-affected zone as the shoe controls heat build-up during the welding process.

• Speed of Application - Welding speed may be substantially increased as rapid cooling allows control of the weld puddle, creating a smooth weld surface to desired thickness.