Flux-Cored Wire Electrode
Consumable featuring a metallic sheath and an internal powder core that provides alloying elements and slag-forming components.
When welding with powder-filled wire, the metal powder is inside the wire. The current melts the sheath and the powder, so both go into the weld pool and alloy the seam. That gives you a stronger and tougher weld without having to feed powder separately. The sheath protects the powder and stabilizes the arc, but it melts too and is not just a shield. If you set the wire wrong or too much slag forms, the weld becomes porous or irregular. Make sure the wire is stored clean and dry, otherwise it picks up moisture and you get pores in the weld. For thick plates or high-strength joints, this is well suited, but you have to set the machine to the wire – not guess. Keep the weld clean and make sure the wire feeds evenly, then it'll be fine.