METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AND/OR ADJUSTING THE MOVEMENT OF AN ELECTRODE HOLDER

A method for open or closed-loop control of welding tong movement utilizes a welding tong drive having a primary and a secondary drive device. The primary drive device moves two welding tong limbs with welding electrodes toward a welding object from opposite sides. The welding tong limbs press onto the welding object with a predetermined compressive force. During actuation, the secondary drive device varies a spatial orientation of the welding tongs. In order to contact the welding object in a controlled manner, and to reliably acquire any deviations from specified spatial points during contacting, the welding tongs first approach a spatial point relative to the welding object. The welding tong limbs are held in a fixed spatial orientation during the approach. The secondary drive device is actuated until a welding tong limb contacts the welding object. The primary drive device then closes the welding tong limbs.