Welding is a well-known process that is used to join parts together for a variety of intended applications. One such welding technique is referred to as arc welding.
Arc welding is a welding technique that joins separate metal parts together using a fusion process. Intense heat is applied to metal at a joint interface between two parts, causing the metal to melt and intermix, either directly between the parts or more typically with an intermediate molten filler metal. Upon cooling and solidification, a metallurgical bond is formed between the two parts.
In arc welding, an electric arc produces the intense heat necessary to melt metal. The arc is formed between the workpiece and an electrode, typically in the form of a wire that is manually or automatedly guided along a weld path over the joint interface. The electrode can be in the form of a wire that not only conducts the current but also melts and supplies filler metal to the joint, also referred to as a consumable electrode.
In a conventional arc welding system, an arc welder cable conveys inert gas and an electrical current from suitable gas and power sources, respectively, to a welding torch. A welding wire, or electrode, can also be fed through the arc welder cable to the welding torch.
There are many challenges in designing an arc welder cable. In particular, when used in a robotic welding system, the welding cable must endure repeated bending and continuous operation. Robotic welding systems can include a robotic assembly that can manipulate the welding torch at a high rate of speed over a defined movement path that is repeated for each welding operation, which can make the arc welder cable more susceptible to earlier fatigue breakages. In addition, the welding cable is subjected to stretching, compressing, and bending actions performed by the robotic assembly that a human operator would not be physically capable of doing.
It will be appreciated that this background description has been created by the inventor to aid the reader, and is not to be taken as an indication that any of the indicated problems were themselves appreciated in the art. While the described principles can, in some aspects and embodiments, alleviate the problems inherent in other systems, it will be appreciated that the scope of the protected innovation is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability of any disclosed feature to solve any specific problem noted herein.