In which welding process would you typically find a SMAW electrode?

The presence of the SMAW electrode is specific to the Shielded Metal Arc Welding process. This method utilizes a consumable electrode that is coated with flux, which both helps protect the weld pool from atmospheric contamination and aids in the formation of a good quality weld. In SMAW, the electrode is manually fed into the weld pool, and as it melts, it deposits filler metal while the flux coating generates a shielding gas and forms a slag to protect the molten metal as it solidifies.

In the context of the other processes, Gas Metal Arc Welding primarily uses a continuously fed wire electrode, while Flux-Cored Arc Welding utilizes a tubular wire that contains flux, which is different from the solid SMAW electrode. TIG welding, on the other hand, employs a non-consumable tungsten electrode and requires separate filler wire fed manually or automatically into the weld pool.

Therefore, the key characteristic that defines the welding process that typically involves a SMAW electrode is its need for the distinct consumable electrode with flux coating, which is not found in the other welding processes listed.