Similar International Standards
AWS A5.1/A5.1M:2012 (R2022)AWS (American Welding Society) (US)
HighCurrent
Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Specifies requirements for covered carbon steel electrodes for SMAW, using a widely adopted classification system.
ISO 2560:2020ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
HighCurrent
Welding consumables — Covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of non-alloy and fine grain steels — Classification
Provides the primary international classification system for covered electrodes based on mechanical properties and usability.
EN ISO 2560:2020CEN (European Committee for Standardization)
HighCurrent
Welding consumables - Covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of non-alloy and fine grain steels - Classification
The European adoption of ISO 2560, making it technically identical and the standard for use within the EU.
JIS Z 3211:2021JSA (Japanese Standards Association) (Japan)
HighCurrent
Covered electrodes for mild steel, high tensile strength steel and low temperature service steel
The Japanese national standard specifying electrodes for MMAW, with a similar intent but its own classification nomenclature.
Key Differences
≠The primary classification nomenclature is different. IS 814 uses tensile strength in N/mm² (e.g., E41 for 410 MPa), while AWS A5.1 uses tensile strength in ksi (e.g., E60 for 60 ksi), and ISO 2560 uses yield strength in MPa (e.g., E 42 for 420 MPa).
≠Designations for diffusible hydrogen content vary. IS 814 uses H1(≤15), H2(≤10), H3(≤5) ml/100g. AWS A5.1 uses H4(≤4), H8(≤8), H16(≤16) ml/100g. The thresholds do not directly align.
≠While general property requirements are similar, specific minimum values for yield strength for comparable electrode classes can differ. For example, an IS E51 electrode requires 420 MPa min yield, while its AWS E70xx counterpart requires 400 MPa.
≠IS 814 uses a single digit to denote both welding current type and polarity (e.g., '1' for AC/DC+), whereas AWS A5.1's fourth digit primarily indicates covering type and suitable current (e.g., '8' in E7018 implies low-hydrogen potassium coating for AC/DC+).
Key Similarities
≈All standards categorize electrodes based on fundamental flux covering types: cellulosic, rutile, basic (low-hydrogen), and acid, which determine the electrode's operational characteristics.
≈The core methodology for qualifying electrodes is the same, requiring the creation of an all-weld-metal test assembly from which tensile, impact, and bend test specimens are machined and tested.
≈All standards classify electrodes based on their usability, including the welding positions in which they can be used effectively (e.g., all-position, flat/horizontal).
≈The requirements for chemical analysis of the deposited weld metal are a common feature, placing limits on elements like Carbon, Manganese, Silicon, Sulphur, and Phosphorus to ensure weld quality.
≈All standards specify requirements for the physical and manufacturing quality of the electrode, such as core wire diameter tolerance, concentricity of the covering, and freedom from defects.