Which welding process involves a flux filled tubular electrode?

The welding process that involves a flux-filled tubular electrode is known as Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). In FCAW, a continuous wire electrode with a hollow core filled with flux is fed through the welding gun. Upon arcing, the heat generated melts both the base material and the electrode, and the flux inside the tubular wire generates gases and slag that shield the weld pool from atmospheric contamination.

This process allows for high deposition rates and is advantageous for working in various positional applications and outdoor conditions due to the protective gas and slag created by the flux. Additionally, FCAW can be used with or without an external shielding gas, making it versatile for different environments.

Other processes listed, such as Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, do not utilize a tubular electrode filled with flux. SMAW uses solid stick electrodes coated in a flux, while GTAW and TIG employ a non-consumable tungsten electrode and rely on an inert gas for shielding, making them fundamentally different from FCAW in operation and application.