| CPC B23K 9/20 (2013.01) [B23K 9/235 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |

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1. A joining method for joining by welding a weld stud to a workpiece, the method comprising the following steps:
providing a drawn arc welding device and a plasma gas cleaning device;
providing the weld stud and providing the workpiece, the workpiece including a joining surface;
cleaning the joining surface using a plasma gas cleaning method including the cleaning steps of:
supplying a flow of a compressed gas to the plasma gas cleaning device;
generating in the plasma gas cleaning device a non-transferred arc;
generating with the non-transferred arc a plasma from the compressed gas;
directing the plasma onto the joining surface to remove contaminants thereon; and
joining the weld stud to the workpiece by drawn arc welding using the drawn arc welding device including forming of a transferred electric arc between the weld stud and the joining surface.
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