The acronym SMAW stands for which welding process?

• A. Shielded Metal Arc Welding
• B. Submerged Metal Arc Welding
• C. Shielded Metal Arc Wire
• D. Solid Metal Arc Welding

Answer: (A)

Understanding SMAW hinges on what the acronym describes: Shielded Metal Arc Welding is a manual arc welding process that uses a consumable electrode with a flux coating. As the electrode is consumed, the flux coating creates a protective shield in the arc vicinity and forms slag on the weld, guarding the molten metal from the atmosphere. That combination of an arc between a coated electrode and the workpiece and the produced shielding and slag is what defines SMAW. It’s also commonly known as stick welding because of the coated electrode held in the holder like a stick.

This distinguishes it from submerged arc welding, which uses a continuous wire fed into a bed of granular flux that covers the weld entirely (not a flux-coated electrode providing shielding at the arc). It also isn’t what you get with a bare or non-flux-coated wire, which would describe different process terminology, nor is it described by a term like solid metal arc welding, which isn’t a standard process name.