The weight of material deposited in a unit of time. Deposition rate is a direct measure of the amount of weld metal deposited in kg/h (lb/h) or kg/min (Ib/min)

under a given set of conditions.

The deposition rate of a specific electrode varies according to the type of power source. In a test using E6012 electrodes, the deposition rate with a d-c motor

generator welding machine was about 9% greater than the transformer-rectifier type, and 15% greater than one powered with an a-c transformer. The deposition rate of an electrode is always less than the melting rate because of losses by spatter and fumes.

The melting rate of an electrode, sometimes called the “burn-off rate,” is the rate at which the electrode of a specific type and size is melted by a specific welding current. It is usually expressed in cdmin (in./min.). The melting rate increases rapidly as the

current is increased, especially for small diameter electrodes.