Method of starting arc sensing

Abstract

A method of starting arc sensing applicable to automatic welding apparatuses carrying out an arc sensing operation, which is a control operation comprising: detecting deviations of a welding electrode from a predetermined path in an up or down direction and right or left direction, by variations of a welding current while welding with a weaving operation; and correcting the deviation. In this method of starting arc sensing, the welding electrode is held in the dwell state while the arc is extremely unstable just after the arc is first generated, a weaving is carried out from a first predetermined time (T.sub.1) after the extreme instability of the arc has been eliminated, a detection and correction by an arc sensing of a deviation in the right and left direction only are carried out from a second predetermined time (T.sub.2) after the arc has become stable in the weaving state; and a detection and a correction by an arc sensing of a deviation in an up and down direction are carried out in addition to the arc sensing in the right and left direction, from a third predetermined time (T.sub.3) after the correction by the arc sensing of the deivation in the right and left direction only has been carried out (FIG. 7).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.