The welding surface of a grooved electrode (fluted electrode) is covered with grooves (flutes). The grooved tool has several fields of applications. It is very useful when welding materials that produce fumes during the weld. The fumes can cause circuit flashes and difficulties in getting the material layers to fuse together. These problems are eliminated with a grooved electrode, since the fumes are transported out from the material through the grooves.
A grooved electrode can also be used for achieving a stronger seam when welding a reinforced material, since a grooved electrode locks the PVC to the fibres in many more places than a standard electrode does.
When a PVC-material is stored for a long time, additives such as softeners and fire retardants in the PVC can creep out of the material and gather on the surface. This makes the material more difficult to weld. With a grooved tool, the surface layer cracks thanks to the grooves that can penetrate deeper into the material than a standard electrode. This both saves time and improves the finish of the end product.