Kobelco | Get To Know One Of AHG’s Most Valued Suppliers

Kobelco (Kobe Steel) has been in the welding consumable business for over 115 years. and we at Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment (AHG) are proud to have Kobelco as one of our most trusted and valued suppliers.

Who Are Kobelco (Kobe Steel) Has Been in The Welding Consumable Business?

Kobe steel began its journey in 1905 in the steel industry. Until the 1930s, welding electrodes in Japan were imported. And in 1932, Kobe Steel began the development of its own electrodes. And after 10 years of research and development, Kobe steel developed high-quality welding electrodes that were superior to or comparable to the imported electrodes. The electrodes were mainly used in the industrial industry. After World War II, the plant was restarted and there was a very high increase in the demand for welding electrodes. In response to this, Kobe Steel expanded and built a new mass-production plant. The company continued to grow until it became the Kobe Steel we know today and along this journey, the company adopted the name Kobelco as its trade name for its welding consumables.

What products does AHG offer from Kobelco?

At AHG, we offer welding consumables from Kobelco such as electrodes and flux-cored wires for the following welding processes:

1. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW).
2. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW).
3. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW).
4. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW).
5. Submerged Arc Welding (SAW).

Kobe Steel’s three groups of welding consumables:

1. FAMILIARC:

   The welding consumables grouped under this name are used for general welding of mild steels and high tensile strength steels with a tensile strength of more than  590 MPa. The name FAMILIARC was produced by combining the words “familiar” and “Arc”.

2. TRUSTARC:

   The welding consumables in this group are used for steels that require highly credible qualities such as low-temperature steels, heat-resistant low-alloy steels, and, high tensile strength steels with tensile strengths higher than 570 MPa. And the name TRUSTARC was produced by combining the words “Trust” and “Arc”.

3. PREMIARC:

   Welding consumables in this group are used for high-alloy steels, stainless steels, and nonferrous metals. And the name PREMIARC was produced by combining the words “Premium” and “Arc”.

Tips For Maintaining Your Consumables In Optimal Conditions:

1. Store the covered electrodes in low humidity environments.
2. Low-hydrogen electrodes should be stored in an oven (100-150^oC) and would ideally be taken out individually prior to being used. This allows for less moisture to be picked up by the electrodes and that the hydrogen diffusion is decreased.
3. If the flux coating appears to become darker, increased splatter, stronger arc, and irregular slag then this indicates that the electrodes have picked up excessive moisture. In such cases, re-drying can lead to better welds. However excessive drying can also impact the weld quality.
4. Welders should only bring enough electrodes for the job and not an excessive amount, as this may lead to excessive moisture pickup on unused electrodes.

Why choose AHG as your trusted Welding and Welding Consumables Supplier?

AHG as it is known today started out as a steel fabrication operation. Naturally, back in the 1950’s, as the steel operation grew their operation welded more and more steel and the demand called for the first oxygen plant to be placed in Jeddah to support the operation. The AHG of today is no longer directly involved in steel fabrication. However, we do provide welding equipment, consumables, accessories, and gases to the steel industry. AHG has several branches across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and an operation in the UAE that ensure ease of supply to our customers. We have a proven track record for reliability and quality, get in touch with us to learn more about what we offer.