METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LIMITING ENERGY WHEN IGNITING AN ARC

To ensure safe operation of a welding apparatus, low-voltage pulses occurring on a low-voltage side of the welding apparatus are transformed into high-voltage pulses occurring on a high-voltage side of the welding apparatus, an arc is ignited between an electrode and a workpiece during an ignition mode and/or idling mode using the high-voltage pulses, provision is made, in the ignition mode and/or in the idling mode, for a time window that extends from a starting time point to an end time point, an amount of ignition energy at the electrode is determined during the time window and compared with an energy limit value, and an action is triggered in the event of the energy limit value being exceeded, in order to prevent further high-voltage pulses in the time window.