Strip cladding is designed for one problem that conventional single-wire overlay cannot solve efficiently: covering large surfaces with a wide, controlled weld bead. Instead of feeding one narrow wire, the process uses a wide strip electrode beneath a layer of granular flux. Strip widths such as 60, 90, and 120 mm can produce a broad deposition track, making the process particularly attractive for large flat surfaces where productivity, low dilution, and uniform overlay thickness are more important than tight access.

What Is Strip Cladding?

Strip cladding is a submerged-arc overlay process in which a relatively wide metal strip acts as the consumable electrode. The strip is continuously fed toward the workpiece while granular welding flux covers the arc and molten pool. The flux shields the weld from atmospheric contamination, supports the molten metal, and helps control the final weld chemistry and bead profile.

Because the electrode is much wider than a conventional welding wire, one pass can cover substantially more surface area. The result is a wide-bead overlay with fewer individual weld tracks and a potentially smoother production cycle on large, accessible surfaces.

60, 90, and 120 mm Strip Widths

Strip width is one of the main variables determining deposition footprint and travel productivity. Common configurations include approximately 60 mm, 90 mm, and 120 mm strips. A wider strip can reduce the number of adjacent beads required to cover a given surface, although actual productivity depends on current, travel speed, deposition rate, overlap, flux system, substrate geometry, and required layer thickness.

Area productivity should not be specified simply as a theoretical strip width multiplied by travel speed. Effective square metres per hour must account for bead overlap, arc-on time, strip replacement, flux handling, workpiece repositioning, inspection, and any grinding or finishing operations.

How Strip Width Affects Square-Metre Productivity

For large-area cladding, the useful production metric is often m²/h rather than kilograms of deposited metal alone. A wider strip can increase the effective coverage width and reduce the number of parallel tracks required.

The utilization factor is important. A machine may have a high theoretical travel speed while producing a much lower practical m²/h output because of workpiece handling, flux recovery, bead overlap, parameter changes, or inspection requirements.

For procurement, it is therefore better to request a qualified production rate for the actual strip width, overlay thickness, substrate geometry, and welding parameters instead of comparing machines solely by nominal travel speed.

Why Strip Cladding Can Achieve Very Low Dilution

One of the major technical advantages of strip cladding is its ability to produce a relatively shallow penetration profile while depositing a large amount of overlay material. With a properly qualified procedure, dilution can be kept very low, and values below 10% are achievable in suitable strip-cladding applications.

Low dilution means that a greater proportion of the final deposit retains the intended chemistry of the strip electrode. This is particularly valuable when the overlay must maintain a specific corrosion-resistant or wear-resistant composition.

However, “less than 10%” should be treated as a process target rather than a universal guaranteed value. Current, voltage, travel speed, strip oscillation, polarity, substrate preparation, flux, strip composition, and bead overlap all affect dilution.

Where Strip Cladding Works Best

Strip cladding is most effective when the surface is large, relatively flat, accessible to a cladding head, and capable of supporting consistent travel. Typical applications include pressure-vessel components, tube sheets, large plates, vessel interiors, heat-transfer equipment, and large wear-resistant liners.

Equipment Requirements

Strip cladding is not simply a wider version of ordinary submerged-arc welding. The equipment must be designed to feed and energize a wide strip consistently while maintaining stable arc conditions across the strip width.

• High-current power source: the strip requires substantial welding current to achieve stable melting and the required deposition rate.
• Strip feeding system: the electrode must be fed at a controlled and consistent rate without damaging or deforming the strip.
• Flux delivery: granular flux must continuously cover the arc and molten pool at a controlled rate.
• Flux recovery: unused flux can require collection, screening, and controlled reuse depending on the procedure.
• Cladding head: the head must maintain strip alignment, electrical contact, and travel stability.
• Workpiece positioning: large components often require controlled rotation or linear positioning to maintain consistent welding conditions.

These equipment requirements are one reason strip cladding is particularly attractive in dedicated production environments. The process delivers high productivity when the component geometry and production volume justify specialized equipment.

Strip Cladding vs SAW Single-Wire Overlay

The choice is therefore not simply “strip versus wire.” Strip cladding is strongest when wide coverage and low dilution justify the dedicated equipment. Single-wire SAW remains attractive where flexibility, easier parameter changes, narrower access, or lower equipment investment is more important.

Bead Overlap and Surface Uniformity

Even a very wide strip does not eliminate the need for overlap control. Adjacent tracks must be positioned consistently to prevent underfilled regions, excessive ridges, or uneven chemistry at the overlap zones.

Surface profile is also important when the finished component will be machined. A stable strip-cladding procedure should produce predictable bead geometry so that the machining allowance can be calculated without excessive material removal.

When Should Procurement Choose Strip Cladding?

Strip cladding becomes particularly attractive when a project combines large surface area + low dilution + consistent overlay thickness + high production volume. If the component is small, highly curved, interrupted by many features, or requires frequent changes between different overlay materials, the flexibility of wire-based SAW or another process may outweigh the productivity advantage of strip.

For large wear-resistant surfaces, buyers can also evaluate chromium carbide overlay plate as an alternative or complementary solution. The comparison should consider surface area, required thickness, fabrication method, wear mechanism, installation time, and expected maintenance cycle rather than deposition rate alone.

Strip Cladding Procurement Checklist

FAQs About Strip Cladding

What strip widths are commonly used?

Widths around 60, 90, and 120 mm are common reference sizes for wide-strip overlay. The appropriate width depends on the cladding head, power source, workpiece geometry, required deposition rate, and bead profile.

Can strip cladding achieve dilution below 10%?

Yes. A properly designed strip-cladding procedure can achieve very low dilution, and values below 10% are possible in suitable applications. Actual dilution must be confirmed through procedure qualification because welding parameters and substrate conditions strongly affect it.

Is strip cladding faster than single-wire SAW?

For large, accessible surfaces, strip cladding can provide substantially higher area coverage because one strip produces a much wider bead. The actual m²/h advantage depends on deposition parameters, overlap, workpiece handling, and arc-on time.

What equipment does strip cladding require?

A typical system requires a high-current power source, strip-feeding equipment, a dedicated cladding head, granular-flux delivery and recovery equipment, and controlled workpiece positioning. This makes it more specialized than conventional single-wire SAW.

When is single-wire SAW a better choice?

Single-wire SAW is often preferable for smaller surfaces, irregular geometries, narrower access, lower production volumes, or applications where flexibility and simpler equipment are more important than maximum wide-area productivity.