A: I would like to answer your question as a general discussion of flux-cored welding. The American Welding Society (AWS) classifies all tubular electrodes having a flux on the inside as flux-cored wires, and calls it the Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) process. All flux-cored wires have some similar characteristics. These include forming a protective slag over the weld, use a drag angle technique, have the ability to weld out-of-position or flat and horizontal only at higher deposition rates (depending on type of wire), ability to handle contaminants on the plate, etc.