What Factors Affect the Number of Arcs?
Electrode Material and Composition:
The ablation resistance, conductivity, and thermal stability of different alloys determine their lifespan.
Welding Current Intensity and Type:
High current (>200A) or frequent start and stop can easily accelerate ablation and reduce the number of arcs.
Arc starting method:
The impact of high-frequency arcing on the electrode is small, and the wear of contact arcing is greater and the life is reduced.
Gas Protection Effect:
Insufficient gas flow or poor quality (such as oxygen) can cause the electrode to oxidize and fail prematurely.
Whether the electrode is frequently reground:
Improper sharpening angles and excessive wear can reduce the number of effective arcs.
Are There Any Standard Documents?
At present, ISO 6848 “Tungsten and Tungsten Alloy Welding Electrodes”, AWS A5.12 and other international standards mainly stipulate:
Electrode classification and color
Alloying element content
Typical use and performance description
However, there is no clear minimum requirement for the “number of arcs”, mainly because it is an empirical indicator closely related to the use scenario, and the internal evaluation standards are generally established by users or enterprises.
Practical Application Suggestions
Industrial-grade batch automatic welding: It is recommended to use tungsten electrodes with arcing times of >2000 (such as lanthanum tungsten, rare earth tungsten);
Manual operation, low-frequency welding: more than 1000 arc starts can meet daily operations;
High-end automation: It is recommended that users establish an “electrode life database” to record the number of times each electrode is used and the life curve according to the actual welding project.
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