Metallurgy & Structure
Crystal lattice, the iron-carbon diagram, heat treatments — and above all: how to choose the right filler metal.
Filler Metal Calculator
Select base material + application + process — the calculator determines via Schaeffler equivalent, ferrite content, and dilution which filler metal fits and why. With the reasoning the data sheets don't give you.
Open calculator →The Iron-Carbon Diagram (ICD)
The iron-carbon diagram is the most important map in materials science. It shows you which microstructure a steel takes on at which temperature and carbon content — and thus why the weld hardens when welding. Whoever reads the ICD understands hardening, crack susceptibility, and heat treatment instead of just memorizing them.
Analyse & Artikel →The Microstructures of Steels
Steel is not just steel — what matters is the microstructure. Ferrite is soft and tough, Martensite glass-hard and brittle, Pearlite the happy medium, Austenite rust-free and tough, Bainite the compromise between strength and toughness. If you know the five microstructures, you know how any steel behaves when welding.
Analyse & Artikel →Solidification of the Weld Pool
The weld pool is liquid metal that solidifies in fractions of a second. Crystals grow from the weld flank toward the center, segregations form, and this is exactly where solidification and hot cracks originate. Whoever understands solidification knows why the weld center is the weak point — and how to avoid it.
Analyse & Artikel →The Zones of the Weld
A weld is never homogeneous. It consists of three zones: the melted weld metal, the heated heat-affected zone (HAZ), and the unaffected base material. The HAZ is almost always the weak point — here the grain coarsens, here martensite forms, here welds crack. If you know the zones, you test at the right place.
Analyse & Artikel →Filler Metals & Their Selection
The filler metal decides whether your weld bead holds or cracks — and yet the selection is hardly explained anywhere properly. The filler metal must match the strength, the alloy, and the service condition of the base material. Here you'll learn the five rules to always pick the right wire, rod, or electrode.
Analyse & Artikel →