When performing FCAW-G (gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding), a welder notices the arc is unstable and the wire is burning back to the contact tip. What is the most likely cause?

Question: When performing FCAW-G (gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding), a welder notices the arc is unstable and the wire is burning back to the contact tip. What is the most likely cause?

Answer options:

• The travel speed is too slow.
• The shielding gas flow rate is excessively high.
• The contact tip is worn or the wrong size. ✅ The voltage setting is too low for the wire feed speed.

Correct answer: The voltage setting is too low for the wire feed speed.

Explanation: If the voltage is too low for the wire feed speed, the wire will burn back to the contact tip, causing an unstable arc and potential damage to the tip. Slow travel speed usually results in a wider, often convex bead, and high gas flow rate might cause turbulence, but not typically burn-back to the tip.