WORK FACE DETECTING METHOD IN AUTOMATIC WELDING EQUIPMENT

PURPOSE:To shorten the operation time in sensing and to improve the accuracy by detecting a work surface with the closing discharging between the work surface and the tip of a contact chip. CONSTITUTION:The state of a contact chip 4b only being projected from the tip of the jacket of a torch 4 is made by retreating an electrode 5 into the contact chip 4b by reversing an electrode feeding roller 6b prior to the sensing. A discharging is then performed with the top of the contact chip 4b approaching to the surface of the work W when the torch 4 is moved for the surface of the work W to be sensed. An electrifying state detecting means 7e transmits the electrifying signal to a control means 9 and the movement of the torch 4 is stopped and the positional information of the tip of the contact chip 4b is taken up as well, and the detection of the surface of the work W is completed.