• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.125-135
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• 1998

The shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) by AC power source was performed to evaluate the arc stability by arc monitoring and analysing. In this study, the arc stability index was evaluated quantitatively by using he coefficient of resistance variation for welding time. This coefficient was obtained for the long time (20sec.) by analysing the waveforms of welding current, voltage and resistance. The coefficient was applied to indicate numerically the variation level of arc length and the degree of arc extinction. Using the coefficient of resistance variation in practical welding, the arc stability of the high titanium oxide electrode (KS E4313) turned out to be better than that of the low hydrogen electrode (KS E4316). In evaluating the skill level of welders by the coefficient, the horizontal fillet weaving welding became clear to be very discriminating because the higher level welder could weave in keeping constant arc length, but the lower level welder showed the characteristics of weaving with the unstable arc length. And it was confirmed that the welding defects as blow holes was formed when the arc stability index were high.