Patent DE-102008048059-A1 (DE)
Title: Device for conveying a welding wire to working position during laser welding, comprises a transport device and a guiding tube arranged downstream to the transport device for the welding wire
Inventor: KIMME THOMAS
IPC: B23K26/42
Filed: 2008-09-17
Abstract: The device comprises a transport device and a guiding tube (3) arranged downstream to the transport device for a welding wire (2). The transport device and the guiding tube are equipped as a conveyor system (1) with an adjusting mechanism so that one end of the guiding tube is movable with a wire discharge opening against laser beam (4) and the guiding tube possesses an arc form. The first part of the guiding tube is arranged predominantly parallel to the laser beam and the second part of the guiding tube is arranged angularly to the first part. The device comprises a transport device and a guiding tube (3) arranged downstream to the transport device for a welding wire (2). The transport device and the guiding tube are equipped as a conveyor system (1) with an adjusting mechanism so that one end of the guiding tube is movable with a wire discharge opening against laser beam (4) and the guiding tube possesses an arc form. The first part of the guiding tube is arranged predominantly parallel to the laser beam and the second part of the guiding tube is arranged angularly to the first part so that the wire discharge opening points out in the direction of the laser beam and/or the working position. The conveyor system is pivotable over a pivot joint in a plain and the conveyor system is coupled with a drive so that the conveyor system is adjustable in its height against the working position and/or the distance between the wire discharge opening of the guiding tube and the laser beam. The conveyor system revolving over the pivot joint is guidably movable in the direction of the laser beam. A hand-operated or motoric drive is coupled to the conveyor system, which is arranged to x-y-z positioning system and is guidable through the x-axis angular to the laser beam, through the y-axis parallel to the laser beam and/or through the z-axis in its height against the working position. The drive operated in x-axis, y-axis and z-axis on the x-y-z-positioning system. The drive mechanism of the transport device and the drive are interconnected to the conveyor system with a control. The end area of the welding wire coming out from the guiding tube, the discharge opening of the welding wire or the edge area of the guiding tube are arranged in imaging optical manner. A device coupling the laser beam possesses one of the working position in imaging optical manner or arranged on the device coupling the laser beam in imaging optical manner so that the end area of the guiding tube with the discharge opening of the welding wire including its end area, the end area of the welding wire or the discharge opening of the welding wire are imaged. The imaging optic and the drive of the conveyor system are interconnected with the control. The control is a computer system and a module for processing the image of the imaging optic is realized in the computer system so that the form and/or the position of the end area of the welding wire seizes with determined form in the computer system and the position of the working position and the end area of the guiding tube determines the positions. A light source is arranged so that the light beams fall on the end area of the welding wire stepping from the guiding tube and the imaged optic is arranged so that the shadow of the end area of the welding wire coming out from the guiding tube and/or the end area of the guiding tube seizes on the workpiece. The height of the welding wire or the guiding tube is determined with regard to the surface of the workpiece. The drive of the transport system and the positioning system are automatically controlled.