The invention relates generally to welding and, more specifically, to electrodes for arc welding, such as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW).
Welding is a process that has become ubiquitous in various industries for a variety of applications. For example, welding is often used in applications such as shipbuilding, offshore platform, construction, pipe mills, and so forth. Certain welding techniques (e.g., Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Gas-shielded Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW-G), and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)), typically employ a shielding gas (e.g., argon, carbon dioxide, or oxygen) to provide a particular local atmosphere in and around the welding arc and the weld pool during the welding process, while others (e.g., Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW), Submerged Arc Welding (SAW), and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)) do not. Additionally, certain types of welding may involve a welding electrode in the form of welding wire. Welding wire may generally provide a supply of filler metal for the weld as well as provide a path for the current during the welding process. Furthermore, certain types of welding wire (e.g., tubular welding wire) may include one or more components (e.g., flux, arc stabilizers, or other additives) that may generally alter the welding process and/or the properties of the resulting weld.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds