Welding device and method for operating a welding device

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.