Plasma Pilot Arc

The plasma pilot arc ignites between the electrode and the nozzle, creating the ionized gas that guides the main arc to the workpiece. If the pilot arc is too weak or missing, the main arc won't ignite cleanly and you'll get an unstable weld. A pilot arc that's too hot can also heat up the workpiece unnecessarily and cause distortion. So you need to set the pilot arc so that it reliably hands over to the main arc, but doesn't put more energy into the workpiece than necessary. Watch the flame and adjust until the process runs smoothly and evenly.