Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) is frequently referred to as stick or covered electrode welding. Stick welding is among the most widely used welding processes.
The flux covering the electrode melts during welding. This forms the gas and slag to shield the arc and molten weld pool. The slag must be chipped off the weld bead after welding. The flux also provides a method of adding scavengers, deoxidizers, and alloying elements to the weld metal.