Arc Welding

• Welding wire is a necessary component of any arc welding process. An arc welder creates an arc of electricity (hence the name) from the welder itself to the metals that are being welded together. The heat of this electrical current will melt the metal and cause it to flow together, creating a single seal. The purpose of the welding wire is to help increase the strength of that seal. The welding wire, which is a copper jacket around a steel core, will be pressed to the seal as it melts. The wire will melt due to the heat of the electricity, adding its own composition to the seal and making it stronger.
  
  

Raw Materials and Melting

• Some brands of welding wire are made from recycled, scrap steel such as from recycled cars or scrapped ships. Recycled steel must be purified if it's going to be used to make welding wire, so that all other metals and impurities are removed. Once this process is complete, the metal is put through a series of dies to shape and draw it. The steel is pulled out into a wire shape, growing in length even as it cools and becomes more solid.
  
  

Copper Coating

• The last step in the process of making welding wire is to coat it in copper. This is important because the copper makes the welding wire much more conductive, allowing electricity to flow more easily. Copper is also a softer metal and isn't likely to catch in the automatic feed of an arc welder. The steel wire is dipped in copper and then run through a last series of dies to make certain that the coating of copper is even and doesn't distort the width of the wire. Once this process is complete, the wire is rolled onto spools.