Welding device and method for operating a welding device

1. A welding device ( 1 ), comprising:

a contact tip ( 2 ) from which a first welding wire ( 4 ) or a second welding wire ( 5 ) selectively emerges,

a nozzle holder ( 6 ) onto which or in which the contact tip ( 2 ) is arranged,

a feeding means ( 100 ) having a conical or curved feeding surface ( 102 ) for moving the first welding wire ( 4 ) or the second welding wire ( 5 ) out of a first orientation and into a second orientation said feeding means ( 100 ) being configured so that

the welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) is fed into the feeding means ( 100 ) while in the first orientation and the welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) is fed out of the feeding means ( 100 ) while in the second orientation in the direction of the nozzle holder ( 6 ),

an elongated conduit element ( 200 ) configured to accommodate a plurality of welding wire cores ( 8 , 10 ) that are configured to receive welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) and that are introduced into the conduit element ( 200 ) via a first end ( 202 ) of the conduit element; and

an association means ( 250 ) defining at least two axial openings ( 252 , 254 ) wherein the association means ( 250 ) forms an association component ( 256 ) so that the first welding wire core ( 8 ) of the plurality of welding wire cores can be associated with the one axial opening ( 252 ), and the second welding wire core ( 10 ) of the plurality of welding wire cores can be associated with the other axial opening ( 254 ); and

at least one stop ( 206 ) that is part of the association means ( 250 ) and is configured to restrict the penetration depth of the welding wire cores ( 8 , 10 ) into the conduit element ( 200 ),

wherein an end ( 9 ) of the first welding wire core ( 8 ) is arranged in front of the axial opening ( 252 ),

wherein the first welding wire ( 4 ) that is fed through this first welding wire core ( 8 ) is fed via the opening ( 252 ), and the end ( 11 ) of the second welding wire core ( 10 ) is arranged in front of the other opening ( 254 ), and wherein the second welding wire ( 5 ) that is fed through the second welding wire core ( 10 ) is fed through the other opening ( 254 );

wherein the respective welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) that is fed into the welding wire cores ( 8 , 10 ) is fed out of the conduit element ( 200 ) via a second end ( 204 ) of the conduit element, and wherein the welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) that is fed out of the conduit element ( 200 ) via the second end ( 204 ) of the conduit element is fed into the feeding means ( 100 ) while in the first orientation.

2. The welding device according to claim 1 , wherein only one welding wire ( 4 ) is arranged between the feeding means ( 100 ) and the contact tip ( 2 ).

3. The welding device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an alignment means ( 14 ) having an input component ( 16 ) and an output component ( 18 ),

wherein current and/or working gas is fed into the alignment means ( 14 ) via the input component ( 16 ), and

wherein the fed-in current or the fed-in working gas is fed into the nozzle holder ( 6 ) via the output component ( 18 ),

wherein the nozzle holder ( 6 ) is connected at least indirectly to the alignment means ( 14 ), and

wherein the welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) is fed through the alignment means ( 14 ) and into the contact tip ( 2 ) of the nozzle holder ( 6 ).

4. The welding device according to claim 3 , wherein the output component ( 18 ) is rotatable relative to the input component ( 16 ).

5. The welding device according to claim 1 , wherein

the feeding means ( 100 ) has at least one base part ( 104 ) and one replaceable part ( 106 ),

wherein the replaceable part ( 106 ) has the conical or curved feeding surface ( 102 ).

6. The welding device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a separating means ( 300 ) that has at least two supply means ( 302 , 304 ),

wherein each supply means ( 302 , 304 ) is configured to accommodate one or more of current, gas and/or welding wire,

wherein the welding wires ( 4 , 5 ) that have been fed via the supply means ( 302 , 304 ) are fed out of the separating means ( 300 ) via a welding wire discharging means ( 306 ), and

wherein the gases fed in via the supply means ( 302 , 304 ) are fed out of the separating means ( 300 ) via one or more gas outlets ( 320 , 322 ).

7. The welding device according to claim 6 , wherein the separating means has several discharging means ( 306 , 320 , 322 ), and wherein the number of discharging means ( 306 , 320 , 322 ) is greater than the number of supply means ( 302 , 304 ).

8. The welding device according claim 6 , wherein the gas outlets ( 320 , 322 ) are connected to gas coupling means ( 108 , 110 ) in order to introduce gases into the transport path of the welding wire ( 4 , 5 ).

9. The welding device according to claim 8 , wherein the gas coupling means ( 108 , 110 ) are components of the alignment means ( 14 ), or of the input component ( 16 ), or of the feeding means ( 100 ) or of the association means ( 250 ).

10. The welding device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of source means ( 90 , 92 ),

wherein each source means ( 90 , 92 ) has a current source, a working-gas source and a welding wire source, and

wherein each source means ( 90 , 92 ) is connected to a supply means ( 302 , 304 ) via a connecting means ( 91 , 93 ).

11. A multiaxial robot arm ( 400 ), comprising:

at least one welding device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ,

wherein at least a portion of one component of the welding device ( 1 ) selected from the group consisting of: the feeding means ( 100 ), a part of the conduit element ( 200 ), and the association means ( 250 ), is held in a hollow shaft of the multiaxial robot arm ( 400 ).

12. A method for welding comprising:

feeding a first welding wire ( 4 ) in the working direction and feeding a first working gas out of a first source means ( 90 ) to a contact tip ( 2 ) of a welding device ( 1 ),

moving the first welding wire ( 4 ) counter to the working direction in order to open up a welding wire path in an area between a feeding means ( 100 ) and the contact tip ( 2 ), and

feeding a second welding wire ( 5 ) in the working direction as well as a second working gas out of a second source means ( 92 ) to the contact tip ( 2 ) via the same welding wire path in an area between the feeding means ( 100 ) and the contact tip ( 2 );

wherein the first welding wire ( 4 ) and the second welding wire ( 5 ) are conveyed on separate welding wire paths from the source means ( 90 , 92 ) to the feeding means ( 100 ).

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein

the working gas fed in from the first source means or the second source means ( 90 , 92 ) is fed together with the appertaining welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) via a connecting means ( 91 , 93 ) to a separating means ( 300 ),

wherein working gas and welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) are fed only from precisely one source means ( 90 , 92 ) to the separating means ( 300 ), and

wherein the separating means ( 300 ) feeds the working gas into a gas discharging means ( 226 , 228 ), and feeds the welding wire onto a welding wire path that is separate from the gas discharging means ( 226 , 228 ).

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein

the gas discharging means ( 226 , 228 ) is connected to the feeding means ( 100 ) and the working gas that is fed via the gas discharging means ( 226 , 228 ) is coupled into the transport path of the welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) by the feeding means ( 100 ) in order to flow around the welding wire ( 4 , 5 ) that is conveyed by the feeding means ( 100 ).

15. An orbital welding robot ( 500 ), comprising at least one welding device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 ,

wherein at least a portion of one component of the welding device ( 1 ) selected from the group consisting of: the feeding means ( 100 ), a part of the conduit element ( 200 ), and the association means ( 250 ), is held in a hollow shaft of the orbital welding robot ( 500 ), or is held in the contact tip of the nozzle holder ( 6 ), and is swivelable relative to a frame of the orbital welding robot ( 500 ).