Grinding welding electrodes

Abstract

Grinding a rod-shaped welding electrode includes forming a contact line at a contact surface region of a rotating grinding tool, moving the rotating grinding tool and the welding electrode relative to one another in order to grind a surface of the welding electrode, pressing the welding electrode in an axial direction against an abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool, and, during relative movement between the rotating grinding tool and the welding electrode, moving the rotating grinding tool along a curved path in a plane of movement which extends transversely to the contact line and which includes a longitudinal axis of the welding electrode. A holder for the rotating grinding tool is arranged on a coupler mechanism which is provided with two actuating drives enabling the holder to be moved to any point within an operating range of a plane of movement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for grinding a rod-shaped welding electrode, comprising:
 pressing a contact surface region of the welding electrode in an axial direction of the welding electrode against an abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool, so that a contact line is formed at the contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool; and   moving the rotating grinding tool and the welding electrode relative to one another in order to grind a surface of the welding electrode along a curved path in a plane of movement which extends transversely to the contact line and which includes the longitudinal axis of the welding electrode, wherein a holder for the rotating grinding tool is arranged on a coupler mechanism which is provided with two actuating drives enabling the holder to be moved to any point within an operating range of a plane of movement.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool is concavely curved and the contact line is concavely curved. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the abrasive contact surface region of the grinding tool is formed by a concavely curved, annular groove on a side face of a grinding wheel. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the abrasive contact surface region of the grinding tool is formed by a peripheral surface of a grinding wheel. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein a circumferential surface of the grinding wheel is concavely curved in an axial direction of the grinding wheel. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a surface region of the welding electrode and the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool are pressed resiliently against one another. 
     
     
         7 . A device for grinding a rod-shaped welding electrode, comprising:
 a rotating grinding tool;   a rotary drive coupled to the rotating grinding tool;   a pressing device that presses a surface region of the welding electrode to an abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool, wherein a contact surface area of the grinding tool forms a contact line;   a moving device that moves the rotating grinding tool and the welding electrode relative to each other in order to grind a surface of the welding electrode, wherein the pressing device presses the welding electrode in an axial direction against the abrasive contact surface region and wherein the moving device moves the rotating grinding tool relative to the welding electrode on a curved path in a plane of movement, which extends transversely to the contact line and is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the welding electrode; and   a holder for the rotating grinding tool that is arranged on a coupler mechanism which is provided with two actuating drives that enable the holder to be moved to any point within an operating range of a movement plane.   
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the contact line is concavely curved. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the abrasive contact surface area of the grinding tool is formed by a concave, ring-shaped groove on the side face of a grinding wheel. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool is held resiliently relative to the welding electrode. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the device is an integral part of a welding head or a welding gun. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein a surface region of the welding electrode and the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool are pressed resiliently against one another. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein a surface region of the welding electrode and the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool are pressed resiliently against one another. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein a surface region of the welding electrode and the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool are pressed resiliently against one another. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a circumferential surface of the grinding tool moves past an end face of the welding electrode. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the abrasive contact surface area of the grinding tool is formed by a concavely curved peripheral surface of a grinding wheel. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool is held resiliently relative to the welding electrode. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool is held resiliently relative to the welding electrode. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the abrasive contact surface region of the rotating grinding tool is held resiliently relative to the welding electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein a circumferential surface of the grinding tool moves past an end face of the welding electrode.