Free reference

Filler metal reference

A classification designator is a compressed specification: strength, position, covering or core, and the current it wants, all in four or five characters. These pages unpack them one character at a time.

Covered electrodes (SMAW)

26 pages

Designation	Family	Positions	Polarity	Tensile (ksi)
E6010	Carbon steel	All positions	DCEP only	60
E6011	Carbon steel	All positions	AC or DCEP	60
E6012	Carbon steel	All positions	AC or DCEN	60
E6013	Carbon steel	All positions	AC, DCEP, or DCEN	60
E6018	Carbon steel	All positions	AC or DCEP	60
E6022	Carbon steel	Flat position and horizontal fillets only	AC or DCEN	60
E7014	Carbon steel	All positions	AC, DCEP, or DCEN	70
E7016	Carbon steel	All positions	AC or DCEP	70
E7018	Carbon steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	70
E7018-1	Carbon steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	70
E7024	Carbon steel	Flat position and horizontal fillets only	AC, DCEP, or DCEN	70
E7028	Carbon steel	Flat position and horizontal fillets only	AC or DCEP	70
E7018-A1	Low-alloy steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	70
E8018-B2	Low-alloy steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	80
E9018-B3	Low-alloy steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	90
E8018-C3	Low-alloy steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	80
E308L-16	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	75
E309L-16	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	75
E316L-16	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	70
E310-16	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	80
E347-16	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	75
E2209-16	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEP, or AC	100
EFeMn-A	Hardfacing	Flat and horizontal, with buildup normally done downhand	DCEP, or AC	—
ENi-CI	Cast iron	All positions, though flat gives the best control	DCEN, or AC	—
ENiFe-CI	Cast iron	All positions, best controlled in the flat	DCEN, or AC	—
ECuSn-A	Copper alloy	Flat position preferred, with horizontal fillets workable	DCEP	35

Solid wires (GMAW)

8 pages

Designation	Family	Positions	Polarity	Tensile (ksi)
ER70S-2	Carbon steel	All positions with short circuit or pulsed transfer; axial spray is limited to flat and horizontal fillets	DCEP for wire feed welding; DCEN when the same wire is used as a hand fed rod	70
ER70S-3	Carbon steel	All positions with short circuit or pulsed transfer; spray transfer is flat and horizontal only	DCEP	70
ER70S-6	Carbon steel	All positions with short circuit or pulsed transfer; axial spray is limited to flat and horizontal fillets	DCEP	70
ER80S-D2	Low-alloy steel	All positions with short circuit or pulsed transfer; spray is flat and horizontal only	DCEP	80
ER308L	Stainless steel	All positions with short circuit or pulsed transfer; spray transfer is flat and horizontal only	DCEP for wire feed welding; DCEN when used as a hand fed rod	75
ER316L	Stainless steel	All positions with short circuit or pulsed transfer; spray transfer is flat and horizontal only	DCEP for wire feed welding; DCEN when used as a hand fed rod	70
ER4043	Aluminum	All positions with pulsed transfer; spray transfer is best kept flat and horizontal	DCEP for wire feed welding; alternating current with a balanced wave when torch welded	27
ER5356	Aluminum	All positions with pulsed transfer; spray transfer is best in the flat and horizontal	DCEP for wire feed welding; alternating current with a balanced wave when torch welded	38

Flux-cored wires (FCAW)

7 pages

Designation	Family	Positions	Polarity	Tensile (ksi)
E71T-1	Carbon steel	All positions	DCEP	70
E71T-8	Carbon steel	All positions	DCEN	70
E70T-1	Carbon steel	Flat position and horizontal fillets only	DCEP	70
E71T-11	Carbon steel	All positions	DCEN	70
E71T-GS	Carbon steel	All positions	DCEN	70
E81T1-Ni1	Low-alloy steel	All positions	DCEP	80
E308LT1-1	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEP	75

Filler rods (GTAW)

6 pages

Designation	Family	Positions	Polarity	Tensile (ksi)
ER80S-B2	Low-alloy steel	All positions	DCEN	80
ER90S-B3	Low-alloy steel	All positions	DCEN	90
ERNiCr-3	Nickel alloy	All positions	DCEN	80
ER2209	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEN	100
ERTi-2	Titanium	All positions	DCEN	50
ER347	Stainless steel	All positions	DCEN	75

Submerged arc wires and fluxes (SAW)

3 pages

Designation	Family	Positions	Polarity	Tensile (ksi)
EM12K	Carbon steel	Flat groove welds and horizontal fillets only	DCEP for most single wire work, with DCEN or AC used to raise deposition or in multi-wire setups	—
EL12	Carbon steel	Flat groove welds and horizontal fillets only	DCEP or DCEN for single wire work, with AC used on multi-wire and tandem arcs	—
EH14	Carbon steel	Flat groove welds and horizontal fillets only	DCEP for single wire work, with AC common on trailing arcs in tandem and multi-wire systems	—

Classification designators are factual identifiers. Everything written about them here is general industry knowledge, not a reproduction of any manufacturer's datasheet or any published specification. Always weld to the procedure and consumable data that governs your job.