Water-vapor plasma torch, and wear-detection and process-control method to be used with such a water-vapor plasma torch

The invention relates to a water-vapor plasma torch (7) for cutting a workpiece (21), comprising a feed line (8) for a liquid (9), a heating device (22), and an evaporator (23) for forming a gas (20) from the liquid (9), a cathode (24) detachably connected to a movably mounted piston rod (25), and a nozzle (26) with an outlet opening (27) for the gas (20), as well as to a wear-detection and process-control method to be used with such a water-vapor plasma torch (7). To create such a water-vapor plasma torch (7) including wearing-part detection, at least one temperature sensor (28) is arranged within the piston rod (25), said temperature sensor being connected to a control unit (4), so that a wear of the cathode (24) and the nozzle (26) can be concluded from the temperature values detected, and that the control of the water-vapor plasma cutting process is influenceable.