BIULETYN INSTYTUTU SPAWALNICTWA No. 4/2015 15 Aleksander Lisiecki, Andrzej Majowski, Tomas Gorzelik, Jarosław Jarek, Piotr Gorzela, Agnieszka Kurc-Lisiecka Controlling the Quality and Life of Briquetting Machine MMA Surfaced Working Elements in the Process of Steel Briquette Manufacturing Abstract: Te article presents the results of a study dedicated to the selection of covered electrodes applied for the surfacing of briquetting machine working elements used in the production of briquettes made of fne-grained steel scrap. Te analysis of operating conditions and wear mechanisms afecting surfaces of working elements enabled the preliminary selection of four types of covered electrodes used for the surfacing of wear-resistant surfaces. Te tests involved structural and chemical composition analyses, microhardness measurements and the analysis of operational properties, particularly of metal-metal abrasive wear in relation to electrode weld deposits. Te selection of electrodes, whose weld deposit provides the highest resistance to metal-metal abrasive wear were followed by operational tests of briquetting machine surfaced elements in real production conditions. Te tests have revealed that the surfacing of the surfaces of briquetting machine work elements by means of EC 4119 covered electrodes extends the service life of these elements four times if compared with the life of original working elements made of tool steel intended for cold operation. Keywords: steel briquette manufacturing, MMA surfacing, quality controll doi: 10.17729/ebis.2015.4/2 Introduction Te wear of the surfaces and edges of machin- ery and tool working elements is natural and inevitable [1-3], leading to a gradual decrease in operating properties, parameters and ef- ciency which, if happening uncontrollably, can result in damage or failure [4, 5]. Te exces- sive wear issue afecting working elements of technological lines, machines and tools is com- mon in many companies. Te SILINGEN POL- SKA company deals with raw materials recovery, production of ferroalloy briquettes, steel bri- quettes and SILANCER® oxygen lances. Present- ly, over 95% of SILINGEN POLSKA production is exported primarily to Germany, France and the Czech Republic. Also, many Polish companies dr inż. Aleksander Lisiecki (PhD (DSc) Eng.), mgr inż. Andrzej Majowski (MSc Eng.) – Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Department of Welding; mgr inż. Tomas Gorzelik (MSc Eng.) – SILINGEN GmbH, Germany; mgr inż. Jarosław Jarek (MSc Eng.) – SILINGEN Poland, Mikołów; mgr inż. Piotr Gorzela (MSc Eng.) – Messer Eutectic Castolin, Gliwice; dr inż. Agnieszka Kurc-Lisiecka (PhD (DSc) Eng.) – University of Dąbrowa Górnicza; Rail Transport Department;