In addition to the equipment used in arc welding, various types of electrodes, rods, wires, fluxes, and gases are also used. These are called "consumables" because they are consumed or "used up" during welding. All filler metals whether supplied by a covered electrode, a rod, or a wire are "consumed" during welding and become a part of the finished weldment. All shielding gases used with a gas-shielded arc-welding process such as MIG welding or TIG welding are expended during welding. Similarly, granular fluxes such as used with the submerged arc (SAW) process are at least partially expended during welding.
Stick electrodes used in the manual stick welding (SMAW) process consist of a filler metal and coating. The coating has many functions, including the creation of shielding gases under the heat of the arc. Self-shielded flux-cored wires are essentially a continuous stick electrode turned "outside-in" for use in semiautomatic welding. Cored wires typically consist of a steel tube filled with the necessary ingredients for shielding the arc and other functions.
