With this particular type of welding, the welder follows a manual process of stick welding. The stick uses an electric current to form an arc between the stick and the metals to be joined.

This is often used in the construction of steel structures and in industrial fabrication to weld iron, steel and using the open V-Groove when welding with mild steel pipe.

It is vital that the welder must be able to weld to a level in which their work can pass a destructive type of bend test. While shielded metal arc welding is used to join carbon steel, alloyed steels, stainless steel, cast iron, and ductile iron, it can also be used for some non-ferrous metal applications like Nickel and Copper. It is rarely used on Aluminum.