Welding has become an increasingly important process in many industries these days, enabling the construction of a wide variety of objects from stairs, to chairs, to cars. But before we delve into the details of what type of welding is stick welding, let’s take a look at some of the amazing numbers in the welding industry: over 800,000 tons of welding rods are consumed every year and the global market is estimated to be worth around $39 billion dollars.
Stick welding remains one of the most widely used forms of welding, particularly for DIY enthusiasts and construction trades. A stick welding machine operates by using a current to flow through a metal electrode that is stick-shaped, producing an electric arc between the electrode and the metal surface.
So why is this form of welding so popular? Let’s get into the details of stick welding to find out!
What is Stick Welding?
Stick welding – also known as Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) – is a manual welding process that requires advanced skill from the operator.It is one of the oldest arc welding processes in existence, and often is considered the simplest form of welding. Stick welding uses an electric current to create an arc between the welding stick and the material to be joined, also known as an electrode. The heat of the arc melts both the electrode and the material in the weld joint, creating a permanent bond when cooled.
Advantages of Stick Welding
• Stick welding is the most versatile of all the arc welding processes. It can be used in most common welding positions and mild steel, stainless steel, chrome-moly and nickel alloys can be joined in stick welding.• Stick welding is extremely durable and efficient in joining thick metals. It’s widely used in heavy industry, letting welders join thick materials and thick plates of steel together in production. • Stick welding allows welders to work in almost any environment, including outdoors and in spaces with poor ventilation.
• Stick welding performs well in difficult “dirty” weld environments. • Stick welding is the least costly of the arc welding processes, and requires the least amount of equipment.
The setup is extremely simple and requires no shielding gases or fluxes from cartridges or tanks.
Disadvantages of Stick Welding
• Stick welding is a labor-intensive process, as the electrode must be replaced regularly. The electrodes can be costly due to the different types of electrodes used for various weld applications.• Stick welding requires a great amount of skill from the welder, and must be well experienced as each electrode must be chosen based on the metal being joined. • Stick welds can contain impurities and slag, thus requiring more clean up time than other arc welding processes. • Stick welding is time-consuming and is not suitable for welding thinner metal.