Automatically recognizing interchangeable torch components, such as consumables, for welding and cutting torches includes adding one or more passive markings to a surface of an interchangeable torch component. Then, the interchangeable component can be recognized by a torch assembly including a torch body and one or more imaging devices or by a system including the torch assembly and a power supply. The torch body has an operative end configured to removably receive the interchangeable torch component. The one or more imaging devices are positioned to optically acquire an image of or image data representative of the one or more passive markings included on the interchangeable torch components so that a processor can determine if the one or more interchangeable components are genuine.

Disclosed are weld electrode plugs with polymeric inserts for loss-of-cooling detection, methods for making or for using such weld electrode plugs, and electric welding systems equipped with loss-of-cooling detection plugs. A disclosed loss-of-cooling detection assembly includes a plug that attaches to the weld shank of a welding system such that the plug fluidly couples to a coolant bore within the shank. The plug includes a plug body with a clearance hole extending therethrough. An insert detachably mounts to the plug such that the insert fluidly seals the clearance hole. This insert is fabricated from a polymeric material, such as a shape memory polymer, that alters a physical property, such as shape/size, of the insert responsive to changes in temperature and/or pressure of coolant fluid in the shank's bore. When this physical property is altered, the insert unseals the clearance hole causing a detectable leak of fluid from the shank.

There is provided a welding wire processing structure, of an arc welding robot, including a wire hose for feeding a welding wire to a wire feeder that is attached to a rear portion of an arm provided with a welding torch at a tip, from a rear end surface of the wire feeder to a forward side, and a connector for attaching the wire hose to the rear end surface, where the connector connects the wire hose in a direction intersecting a feed direction of the welding wire by the wire feeder.

An arc welder cable includes a resiliently flexible hose, an intermediate sheath, a plurality of conductors, and an outer sheath. The hose defines an axial passageway configured to permit passage of a welding wire and a shielding gas therethrough. The intermediate sheath circumscribes the hose such that the hose is disposed radially within the intermediate sheath. The intermediate sheath is made from an electrically-insulative material and is in sealing contact with an outer surface of the hose. The conductors are disposed circumferentially about the intermediate sheath and disposed radially outward of the intermediate sheath. The conductors extend along the intermediate sheath in a helical manner. The conductors are made from an electrically-conductive material. The outer sheath is made from an electrically-insulative material and circumscribes the conductors such that the conductors, the intermediate sheath, and the hose are disposed radially within the outer sheath.

A welding torch that comprises: a main body that is formed as a hollow pipe body, and that has a first inclined surface formed inside the pipe body; an electrode bar cap that has a collet chuck on the front side of a joint that is assembled on one side of the pipe body in a screw-coupling manner, that moves the collet chuck by tightening or loosening the joint; a head that has a socket that is arranged on a side facing the pipe body and that sprays supplied gas in all directions, and that is formed of a nozzle that is assembled on an external surface of the socket; and a connector that guides a gas supply into the pipe body.

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a welding torch that includes a torch head and a torch body removably connected to the torch head. The torch head includes first and second torch-head flow paths for flowing cooling water, first and second inlets/outlets communicating with the first and second torch-head flow paths, respectively, and a movable part movable in an axial direction of the torch head. The torch body includes a torch-body flow path for flowing cooling water, and first and second connection ports communicating with opposite ends of the torch-body flow path, respectively. The first and second inlets/outlets communicate with the first and second connection ports, respectively, when the torch head and the torch body are connected to each other. The first and second inlets/outlets are closed with the movable part when the torch head and the torch body are separated.

A tungsten inert gas welding torch body, a TIG welding torch handle, and a TIG welding torch has a gas channel terminating in front of the distal end of a plug-in element in an inlet opening arranged on the shell side of the plug-in element, and a central inlet mouth at the distal end of the plug-in element terminating in front of the distal end of the plug-in element in a return opening on the shell side at the plug-in element. The TIG welding torch handle has a second channel arranged coaxially to the central channel, and a third channel arranged coaxially to the second channel. A connection is between the second channel and the third channel. The first channel has a mouth in the center of the receiving part, and each of the second and third channels has a mouth on the shell side of the receiving part.

A connector component (102) is provided for assembly into a material processing torch head. The connector component (102) comprises a generally cylindrical body (104) that includes a proximal end (106) and a distal end (108) defining a longitudinal axis. At least two thread regions (112) are disposed at a radial location on a surface of the body near the proximal end. Each thread region includes at least one thread (114) disposed on the surface of the body. In addition, at least two non-thread regions (116) are oriented longitudinally at a radial location on the surface of the body (104).

A cable hose suitable for welding or cutting systems includes one or more conductors and monolithic tubing that extends around and between the one or more conductors. The monolithic tubing defines one or more discrete passageways for the one or more conductors that provide a closed path from a first end of the cable hose to a second end of the cable hose for the one or more conductors. The monolithic tubing also defines an inner conduit configured to allow a gas to flow from the first end of the cable hose to the second end of the cable hose. The cable hose may be formed by arranging the one or more conductors in a specific configuration and overmolding an insulator onto the one or more conductors to secure the one or more conductors in a specific configuration.

A rotating power connection for connecting an electrical supply power cable to an electric welding torch body is provided. In the rotating power connection, the mechanical load is carried by steel bearings, and the electric load is carried by multi-contact, spring loaded fins made out of highly conductive materials or coatings. In some examples, a rotating power connector is affixed to a torch before the power connection to a wire feeder. The rotating power connector advantageously allows for rotation of the welding torch relative to the unicable while providing continual electrical connection at the high current levels employed in welding applications.