A drawn arc welding process comprising the steps of: providing a work piece; providing a welding tool holding a metal object onto the work piece; providing a power supply outputting a preset current; providing an arc voltage sensing device; lifting the metal object and drawing a pilot arc current; and energizing a welding current locally melting the metal object and forming a weld pool in the work piece; characterized by the steps of: outputting a preset current through the power supply; measuring the arc voltage in multiple measurement phases including a first phase having an initial melting of a surface or surface coating of the work piece wherein the measured arc voltage is not stored and utilised in a predicting step, and additional phases wherein the arc voltage is measured and stored; predicting the arc voltage for a remaining time of the welding process; calculating the time of the remaining welding process so that the sum of the accumulated arc energy and remaining arc energy equal to said desired energy set point and plunging the metal object into the locally melted work piece forming a weld between the metal object and the work piece to achieve the calculated time of the remaining weld; or regulating the time of the welding process wherein the measured arc voltage and predicted arc voltage are utilized to control said desired energy input set point; and plunging the metal object into the locally melted work piece forming a weld between the metal object and the work piece. providing a work piece; providing a welding tool holding a metal object onto the work piece; providing a power supply outputting a preset current; providing an arc voltage sensing device; lifting the metal object and drawing a pilot arc current; and energizing a welding current locally melting the metal object and forming a weld pool in the work piece; characterized by the steps of: outputting a preset current through the power supply; measuring the arc voltage in multiple measurement phases including a first phase having an initial melting of a surface or surface coating of the work piece wherein the measured arc voltage is not stored and utilised in a predicting step, and additional phases wherein the arc voltage is measured and stored; predicting the arc voltage for a remaining time of the welding process; calculating the time of the remaining welding process so that the sum of the accumulated arc energy and remaining arc energy equal to said desired energy set point and plunging the metal object into the locally melted work piece forming a weld between the metal object and the work piece to achieve the calculated time of the remaining weld; or regulating the time of the welding process wherein the measured arc voltage and predicted arc voltage are utilized to control said desired energy input set point; and plunging the metal object into the locally melted work piece forming a weld between the metal object and the work piece. outputting a preset current through the power supply; measuring the arc voltage in multiple measurement phases including a first phase having an initial melting of a surface or surface coating of the work piece wherein the measured arc voltage is not stored and utilised in a predicting step, and additional phases wherein the arc voltage is measured and stored; predicting the arc voltage for a remaining time of the welding process; calculating the time of the remaining welding process so that the sum of the accumulated arc energy and remaining arc energy equal to said desired energy set point and plunging the metal object into the locally melted work piece forming a weld between the metal object and the work piece to achieve the calculated time of the remaining weld; or regulating the time of the welding process wherein the measured arc voltage and predicted arc voltage are utilized to control said desired energy input set point; and plunging the metal object into the locally melted work piece forming a weld between the metal object and the work piece.