8. Advantages
• Equipment relatively easy to use,
inexpensive, portable
• Filler metal and means for protecting the
weld puddle are provided by the covered
electrode
• Less sensitive to drafts, dirty parts, poor
fit-up
• Can be used on carbon steels, low alloy
steels, stainless steels, cast irons, copper,
nickel, aluminum
9. Quality Issues
• Discontinuities
associated with
manual welding
process that utilize
flux for pool shielding
– Slag inclusions
– Lack of fusion
• Other possible effects
on quality are
porosity, and
hydrogen cracking
Shielded Metal Arc Welding
11. Other Limitations
• Heat of welding too high for lead, tin, zinc,
and their alloys
• Inadequate weld pool shielding for reactive
metals such as titanium, zirconium,
tantalum, columbium
