Manual Metal Arc welding (MMA) is often referred to as Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) or stick electrode welding. It was the predominant form of fusion welding until the beg0inning of the 1980s.

Although there had been initial work on arc welding in the 1700s using carbon electrodes powered by batteries, development work intensified between 1880 and 1900 with the availability of electric ...