What causes melted metal from the electrode to transfer to the workpiece in the SMAW process?

• A. Gravity
• B. Pressure
• C. Heat
• D. Shielding Gas

Answer: (B)

In SMAW, the molten metal must be moved from the electrode tip into the weld pool, and the primary driver of that transfer is the force produced by the welding arc itself. The arc generates arc pressure and related electromagnetic forces that push and propel the molten droplets from the electrode toward the workpiece. Heat is what melts the electrode so droplets form, but it’s the arc pressure that actually moves those droplets across the gap. Gravity can assist in detaching droplets, but it isn’t the main cause of transfer. Shielding gas isn’t part of SMAW transfer, so it doesn’t drive the transfer either.