Hello everyone,
My name is Carl and I'm new around here but have been welding both as a hobbyist and professionally since my late teens ...about 15 years or so.
I would like to hear if anyone on here has had an experience similar to mine or heard of something similar.
I have gone through two Abitig high-flex power cables in about 4 years or so as the white rubber-like material deteriorates and cracks and starts to leak just by the machine side connector. It only looks damaged right by the connector and then about 50-100mm from the connector it looks fine again and no cracks are visible. The first time the hose started leaking I thought it was probably due to some accident that it was damaged. We got it repaired (the part of the hose that was visibly damaged was cut off and a new connector crimped on). The machine and torch sat unused for a couple of months but when we started using it again the problem repeated itself after a couple of months. This time I was fairly certain it was not due to any kind of mistreatment or accident on our behalf as I had made arrangements to prevent damage to the unprotected part near the machine. I got it repaired again and it was ok for some months or perhaps close to a year. At some point the cable got cut in half when something fell on it and we replaced it with a new identical cable from Binzel. It has been about about 2 years now and we have had this problem occur 2 times with the 2nd cable.
When the hose fails, the rubber looks as if it had gotten in touch with some chemicals it can't handle, but I am as good as certain that nothing has ever been spilled on it.
I doubt it has anything to do with the rest of the equipment but the welder I use it with is a big old heavy Lincoln (US) IdealArc AC/DC 300 with a matching cooler which I think gives out about 95psi. I have thought about whether it is the coolant I am using but it appears as if the deterioration happens from the outside-in, as the cracks will start to appear long before it starts to leak. I have tried swapping coolant brands to see if that helps but it did not seem to do anything.
Can any of you imagine what it is that's going wrong and whether and how it can be prevented? I find it somewhat strange that the cable fails near the machine and not by the torch as it goes through much more flex and abuse on that end and in that spot the coolant pressure should be at it's lowest.
I wonder what material is the hose made of and whether it is vulnerable to UV?
Cheers,
Carl.
My name is Carl and I'm new around here but have been welding both as a hobbyist and professionally since my late teens ...about 15 years or so.
I would like to hear if anyone on here has had an experience similar to mine or heard of something similar.
I have gone through two Abitig high-flex power cables in about 4 years or so as the white rubber-like material deteriorates and cracks and starts to leak just by the machine side connector. It only looks damaged right by the connector and then about 50-100mm from the connector it looks fine again and no cracks are visible. The first time the hose started leaking I thought it was probably due to some accident that it was damaged. We got it repaired (the part of the hose that was visibly damaged was cut off and a new connector crimped on). The machine and torch sat unused for a couple of months but when we started using it again the problem repeated itself after a couple of months. This time I was fairly certain it was not due to any kind of mistreatment or accident on our behalf as I had made arrangements to prevent damage to the unprotected part near the machine. I got it repaired again and it was ok for some months or perhaps close to a year. At some point the cable got cut in half when something fell on it and we replaced it with a new identical cable from Binzel. It has been about about 2 years now and we have had this problem occur 2 times with the 2nd cable.
When the hose fails, the rubber looks as if it had gotten in touch with some chemicals it can't handle, but I am as good as certain that nothing has ever been spilled on it.
I doubt it has anything to do with the rest of the equipment but the welder I use it with is a big old heavy Lincoln (US) IdealArc AC/DC 300 with a matching cooler which I think gives out about 95psi. I have thought about whether it is the coolant I am using but it appears as if the deterioration happens from the outside-in, as the cracks will start to appear long before it starts to leak. I have tried swapping coolant brands to see if that helps but it did not seem to do anything.
Can any of you imagine what it is that's going wrong and whether and how it can be prevented? I find it somewhat strange that the cable fails near the machine and not by the torch as it goes through much more flex and abuse on that end and in that spot the coolant pressure should be at it's lowest.
I wonder what material is the hose made of and whether it is vulnerable to UV?
Cheers,
Carl.
