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A stud welding apparatus includes a power supply and a stud welding tool having a welding head portion and a cable receiving portion. A composite cable having first and second ends is coupled at a first end to the stud welding tool at the cable receiving portion and to the power supply at the secon

A stud welding apparatus includes a power supply and a stud welding tool having a welding head portion and a cable receiving portion. A composite cable having first and second ends is coupled at a first end to the stud welding tool at the cable receiving portion and to the power supply at the second end of the composite cable. If the stud feeder is present, the second end of the composite cable can be coupled to the stud feeder. The composite cable includes a conductor having no individual electrical isolation and at least one control lead electrically isolated from the conductor. The conductor and the at least one control lead are surrounded by an outer non-conductive layer.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A stud welding apparatus comprising: a power supply; a stud welding tool including a welding head portion and a cable receiving portion; a composite cable having first and second ends, the first end coupled to the stud welding tool at the cable receiving portion, the se

The invention claimed is: 1. A stud welding apparatus comprising: a power supply; a stud welding tool including a welding head portion and a cable receiving portion; a composite cable having first and second ends, the first end coupled to the stud welding tool at the cable receiving portion, the second end connected to the power supply; the composite cable including a single weld current conductor having no individual electrical isolation and at least one control lead electrically isolated from the conductor, the conductor and at least one control lead surrounded by an outer nonconductive layer. 2. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composite cable is extruded. 3. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composite cable includes a strain relief structure formed on the first and second ends of the composite cable. 4. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer nonconductive layer comprises a polymer having cross-linked long molecular chains. 5. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one control lead is helically wound. 6. The stud welding apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one helically wound control lead has a pitch of from 5 to 15 inches. 7. The stud welding tool of claim 1 wherein the outer non-conductive layer has a durometer hardness of 70 to 90 Shore A. 8. The stud welding tool of claim 1 wherein the outer non-conductive layer has a non-black color. 9. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composite cable includes a conduit surrounded by the conductor. 10. The stud welding apparatus of claim 9 wherein the conduit is selected from the group consisting of: a shielding gas conduit, a welding fume exhaust conduit, a fastener feed conduit, and a pneumatic tube conduit. 11. The stud welding apparatus of claim 10 wherein the fastener feed conduit includes an inner stud-shaped hollow profile for feeding the fastener. 12. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composite cable includes from one to thirty control leads disposed within the outer nonconductive layer. 13. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one control lead is disposed within the conductor. 14. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one control lead is disposed within the conduit. 15. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one control lead is disposed between the conductor and the outer nonconductive layer. 16. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one control lead is a lead selected from the group consisting of: trigger weld start lead, solenoid power lead, stud angularity detection lead, servo motor control lead, encoder feedback and power supply leads, weld current adjustment lead, weld time adjustment lead, welding preset control lead, weld quality detection lead, arc voltage sensor lead, force transducer lead, acoustic signal lead, stud gripper valve control lead, low voltage power supply lead, proximity switch control lead, marking paint ejection control lead, coaxial cable and a fiber optic cable. 17. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second end of the composite cable includes an attachment handle for connecting the composite cable to the power supply. 18. The stud welding apparatus of claim 17 wherein the attachment handle includes a central pin that is electrically conductive, at least one control pin electrically isolated from the conductive layer, and an electrically nonconductive locking nut. 19. The stud welding apparatus of claim 18 wherein the power supply includes a connection adapted to engage the electrically nonconductive locking nut of the attachment handle. 20. The stud welding apparatus of claim 18 wherein the central pin includes a longitudinal bore formed therein. 21. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composite cable is cross linked using electron beam irradiation prior to connection with the stud welding tool and power supply. 22. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the welding tool is a handheld stud welding gun. 23. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the welding tool is a stud welding head manipulated by an automated motion control device. 24. The stud welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composite cable further includes an extension cable, the extension cable adapted to connect to the second end of the composite cable at one end and to the power supply at the other end. 25. A stud welding apparatus comprising: a power supply; a stud feeder connected to the power supply; a stud welding tool including a welding head portion and a cable receiving portion; a composite cable having first and second ends, the first end coupled to the stud welding tool at the cable receiving portion, the second end connected to the stud feeder; the composite cable including a conduit surrounded by a single weld current conductor, the conductor having no individual electrical isolation and at least one control lead electrically isolated from the conductor, the conductor and at least one control lead surrounded by an outer nonconductive layer. 26. A stud welding apparatus comprising: a power supply; a stud welding tool including a welding head portion and a cable receiving portion; a composite cable having first and second ends, the first end coupled to the stud welding tool at the cable receiving portion, the second end connected to the power supply; the composite cable including a conduit surrounded by a single weld current conductor, the conductor having no individual electrical isolation and at least one control lead electrically isolated from the conductor, the conductor and at least one control lead surrounded by an outer nonconductive layer. 27. A stud welding cable comprising: a composite cable having first and second ends, the first end adapted to engage a stud welding tool, the second end adapted to engage a power supply, the composite cable including a single weld current conductor having no individual electrical isolation and at least one control lead electrically isolated from the conductor, the conductor and at least one control lead surrounded by an outer nonconductive layer, the composite cable being cross linked using electron beam irradiation providing environmental protection to the composite cable. 28. A stud welding apparatus comprising: a power supply; a stud welding tool including a welding head portion and a cable receiving portion; a composite cable having first and second ends, the first end coupled to the stud welding tool at the cable receiving portion, the second end connected to the power supply; the composite cable including a single weld current conductor having no individual electrical isolation and at least one helically wound control lead electrically isolated from the conductor, the conductor and at least one control lead surrounded by an outer nonconductive layer.