ORBITAL WELDING DEVICE WITH IMPROVED SECURITY AND REDUCED FAILURE PROBABILITY

Abstract

An orbital welding device (1) having a welding head (2), the welding head having a tubular mount (3) and a welding electrode holder (4) rotatably supported with respect to the tubular mount (3), the orbital welding device (1) having an electric motor (6) activated by a motor controller (5) of the orbital welding device (1), which is configured to drive the welding electrode holder (4) and thus to rotate the same with respect to the tubular mount (3), wherein the orbital welding device (1) has an electric torque measuring device (7), which is configured to measure a torque applied by the motor (6) to the welding electrode holder (4), wherein the torque measuring device (7) is connected to the motor controller (5), and wherein the motor controller (5) is configured to stop the motor (6) automatically if the torque exceeds a predetermined first torque.

Claims

1. An orbital welding device (1) having a welding head (2), the welding head having a tubular mount (3) and a welding electrode holder (4) rotatably supported with respect to the tubular mount (3), the orbital welding device (1) having an electric motor (6) activated by a motor controller (5) of the orbital welding device (1), which is configured to drive the welding electrode holder (4) and thus to rotate the same with respect to the tubular mount (3), wherein the orbital welding device (1) has an electric torque measuring device (7), which is configured to measure a torque applied by the motor (6) to the welding electrode holder (4), wherein the torque measuring device (7) is connected to the motor controller (5), and wherein the motor controller (5) is configured to stop the motor (6) automatically if the torque exceeds a predetermined first torque.

2. The orbital welding device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the torque measuring device (7) has a current measuring device (7.1), which is configured to measure an electric motor current for driving the motor (6) as a value representing the torque.

3. The orbital welding device (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor controller (5) is configured to start the motor (5) automatically in the opposite direction for a specific time or for a specific number of revolutions, directly after the motor (6) has been stopped on account of exceeding the first predetermined torque.

4. The orbital welding device (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the motor controller (5) is configured to stop the motor (6) automatically again if the torque again exceeds the predetermined torque after the motor (6) has been started in the opposite direction for a specific time or for a specific number of revolutions, directly after the motor (6) has been stopped on account of exceeding the first predetermined torque.

5. The orbital welding device (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the orbital welding device (1) is configured to output a visual and/or acoustic and/or haptic signal automatically or to transmit an electronic signal for visual and/or acoustic and/or haptic display on another device or to store the same on a storage unit if the torque continuously exceeds a second predetermined torque over a predetermined time period, wherein the second predetermined torque is lower than the first predetermined torque.

6. The orbital welding device (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor controller (5) and the torque measuring device (7) are arranged in a welding current source (8) of the orbital welding device (1), while the motor (6) is arranged in the welding head (2).

7. A method for operating an orbital welding device (1), including the steps: rotating a welding electrode holder (4) of the orbital welding device (1) with respect to a tubular mount (2) of the orbital welding device (1) by activating an electric motor (6) by means of a motor controller (5) of the orbital welding device (1), wherein the method further includes: measuring a torque applied by the motor (6) to the welding electrode holder (4) by means of an electric torque measuring device (7), automatically stopping the motor (6) if the torque exceeds a predetermined first torque.

Description

[0021] The invention is now to be illustrated further by way of example by using a drawing.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an orbital welding device 1 having a welding head 2, the welding head having a tubular mount 3 and a welding electrode holder 4 rotatably supported with respect to the tubular mount 3. The orbital welding device 1 has an electric motor 6 activated by a motor controller 5 of the orbital welding device 1. The motor 6 is configured to drive the welding electrode holder 4 and thus to rotate the same with respect to the tubular mount 3. The orbital welding device 1 has an electric torque measuring device 7, which is configured to measure a torque applied by the motor 6 to the welding electrode holder 4. The torque measuring device 7 is connected to the motor controller 5. The motor controller 5 is configured to stop the motor 6 automatically if the torque exceeds a predetermined first torque.

[0023] The torque measuring device 7 has a current measuring device 7.1, which is configured to measure an electric motor current for driving the motor 6 as a value representing the torque.

[0024] The motor controller 5 and the torque measuring device 7 are arranged in a welding current source 8, while the motor 6 is arranged in the easy-to-handle welding head 2.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0025] 1 Orbital welding device

[0026] 2 Welding head

[0027] 3 Tubular mount

[0028] 4 Welding electrode holder

[0029] 5 Motor controller

[0030] 6 Motor

[0031] 7 Torque measuring device

[0032] 7.1 Current measuring device

[0033] 8 Welding current source