A flexible wire guide conduit includes a plurality of modules that can be chained together and can pivot and rotate relative to each other. Each module is formed of two halves that are generally mirrors of each other across a mating plane between the halves. Each module includes an upper flange and a lower flange defining a receiving cavity. Each module includes a tongue member sized to correspond to the cavity that is received in the receiving cavity. The flanges include protrusions extending into the cavity to define a pivotable axis. The tongue includes a bore that receives the protrusions of the adjacent module in the chain. The flanges each include a peg extending into the cavity. The pegs are received in slots formed in the tongue and will slide within the slots during pivoting. The pegs and slots define the degree of pivoting permitted between adjacent modules.

Apparatus and method for welding steel boiler tubes in a space restricted area using a pulsed-arc welding process. The process includes the use of a consumable insert ring having a T-shaped profile and flux material to provide deep weld penetration by a GTAW welding machine. Notches in the consumable weld ring allow for visual inspection of tube fit prior to weld.

Hybrid manual and automated welding systems and methods are described. A hand-held welding tool is manually positioned to engage a workpiece. A weld is started from an initial position based on a first manual operator event. A welding heat source is automatically or autonomously moved along the weld relative to the workpiece from the first position to a second position relative to the workpiece during welding.

A wire feeder includes an exterior housing and in interior housing that creates an interstitial spaced that is disposed between the exterior and interior housing. This housing structure reduces weight of the wire feeder while maintaining the structural rigidness required of a wire feeder. This housing structure also promotes improved cooling features for the wire feeder and the components disposed within the wire feeder. The exterior housing may be constructed of a materials that reduces the likelihood of being damaged. The wire feeder may be further equipped with a strain relief device for the incoming supply cables, and an interchangeable cable connector. The wire feeder may also be equipped with removable wire guides for the wire feeder mechanism that are toolless. The wire feeder may be equipped with accessory storage and attachment features, as well as a cost reduced repositionable control panel.

A mechanized welding system and associated methods are disclosed. The system includes a welding torch and a two-axis motion apparatus operatively connected to the welding torch and configured to move the welding torch in two independent axes of motion (e.g., X and Y) during an orbital welding procedure to produce at least one of a fillet weld or a groove weld on a workpiece. The system also includes a motion controller operatively connected to the two-axis motion apparatus. The motion controller is configured to control movement of the two-axis motion apparatus along the two axes of motion in a coordinated manner to continuously and simultaneously adjust the welding torch in a height direction and an oscillation direction with respect to the workpiece, while accounting for a physical work angle of the welding torch with respect to the workpiece, and without the two-axis motion apparatus having to be tilted with respect to the workpiece when the physical work angle is changed.

A welding electrode apparatus may be mounted to a programmable motion controller such as a robot that presents it to a workpiece along a pre-programmed path conforming to the workpiece surface. The apparatus has a first drive for rotating the welding electrode about its own axis. The welding electrode holder is part of a welding electrode had that is mounted to, or includes, an adapter that itself mounts to a programmable robot. The welding head is sprung on the adapter, such that application of the welding rod against the workpiece under a given force deflects the springs. The adapter can be adjusted in real time relative to the robot to smooth out variations in application force. The apparatus uses Hall effect sensors to sense deviations from a datum of spring displacement or force, and has a servo-motor to re-adjust positioning of the welding head relative to the robot.

A replaceable or quick-change liner for use in a welding torch assembly that includes a liner guide, a section of liner, and a sealing feature for creating a pneumatic seal between the replaceable liner and the welding torch assembly.

In the case an arc welding torch device, having a consumable electrode. The electrode in the arc welding torch device is guided in an exchangeable wire core, the wire core being arranged at least in the region of the rear end of the arc welding torch device in a guide element surrounding the wire core and designed as an exchangeable wear part, and the guide element of the wire core being provided for the joint exchange of the wire core due to wear. It is proposed that a predetermined end position in the arc welding torch device is provided for the guide element with respect to its insertion direction into the arc welding torch device, and when the end position is attained by the guide element, a position signaling means is perceptible outside the arc welding torch device.