Hundreds of thousands of people work in welding, cutting and brazing. It is estimated that welders compose 1 to 2% of the U.S. working population, including a significant segment of the aging workforce. According to OSHA's Christine Petitti, the most commonly used welding processes are: 1) Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)- This process uses an arc between a continuous filler metal electrode and the weld pool. It also uses shielding gas from a flux contained within the tubular electrode, with or without additional shielding gas and without the application of pressure. 2) Gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Like FCAW, this process uses an arc between a continuous filler metal electrode and the weld pool. It uses shielding from an externally supplied gas and without the application of pressure.
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