What Does
Welding Wire Mean?
A welding wire is a slim metallic rod that is ignited to generate a heated arc for the purpose of fusing metal pieces together (welding) by rendering the wire soft via hammering or compressing under an applied heat source.
Corrosionpedia Explains Welding Wire
Welding wire is commercially available in a variety of types and classifications. Different welding jobs and base metal materials require a corresponding welding wire that is appropriate for the application.
Welding wires are gas-shielded electrodes with a range of mechanical properties, arc behavior, quality and cost. Three main types of welding wires are:
- Solid gas metal arc welding (GMAW) wire
- Composite GMAW (metal-cored) wire
- Gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) wire
Once the appropriate wire type is determined, it is important to select the correct wire diameter and chemistry for the application. Wire burn-back is a potential downside if the wrong wire is used for a given application due to an incompatibility with the base metal being welded.