Today, our talented new Career & Technology Center Welding teacher, Mrs. Hoover, guided Welding 1 students through their challenging performance tasks. These tasks will help them complete their NCCER Welding 1 Certification furthering them as College, Career & Military Ready (CCMR). Students practiced their joint welds using the technique of Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW or stick welding). Also pictured is a group of Welding 1 students creating a large portable charcoal grill. All of these tasks help prepare students for the workforce as they graduate. It is exciting to see the potential, the drive, and the successes of these students! For more information about the program, please visit: Welding Pathway
Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), also known as manual metal arc welding (MMAW or MMA) is a welding process that uses a flux-coated electrode to join metals.
An arc forms when the electrode tip comes into contact with the workpiece. Fusion takes place as both the rod and workpiece melt, forming a weld pool from the molten metal.
Simultaneously, the flux coating of the electrode is consumed, forming a protective layer of shielding gas and slag in the weld area.
Slag deposits will eventually form in the weld bead as the metals cool down. The deposits in the weld metal can be chipped off using common shop tools.
This manual metal arc welding technique is limited to short weld stints, as the consumable electrode needs to be constantly replaced.
SMAW should not be confused with FCAW although they share some similarities. With both welding processes, the flux from the electrodes protects the molten weld metal from contamination. These processes do not necessarily need external shielding gases but there are differences in the electrode design and thus, flux-cored arc welding is sometimes referred to as stick welding turned inside out
Shielded Metal Arc Welding Process
Before welding, it is always recommended to check the condition of your equipment. It is crucial for both safety and welding quality to have a well-functioning power source, clamps, cables and electrode holder.
The next step is to select an electrode that will complement the base metal. Simultaneously, the power supply must be set in the proper setting: direct current electrode negative, direct current electrode positive, or alternating current. One wire in a stick welder is attached to the ground clamp and the other is linked to the electrode holder.
To start the arc welding process, the base metal is struck with the electrode. A welding arc forms as the electrode melts in the weld pool.
Consuming the flux coating releases a shielding gas that protects the weld pool from atmospheric contamination. A constant arc length should be maintained as the covered electrodes slowly join the molten pool. Generally, the arc length should be approximately equal to the diameter of the core wire.
A layer of slag forms as the weld metal cools. It can be removed post-cleanup using a chipping hammer and a steel brush (Siim Sild, Apr. 4, 2022, https://fractory.com/shielded-...)