Electron beam welding uses high-energy electrons to melt metal and create a weld without a filler wire. It requires a vacuum and is expensive, but produces high-quality, deep welds with minimal distortion. It can join dissimilar and reactive metals, but is limited by equipment cost and size constraints.
Electron beam welding (EBW) is a fusion welding process that uses a narrow beam of high-energy electrons to melt material and create a weld that joins two pieces of metal. Electrons, negatively charged subatomic particles, are accelerated to 30-70% of the speed of light. At this speed, the electron beam is able to heat the surfaces to be welded to the required temperature. EBW is a form of low pressure welding that requires a high vacuum. EBW’s requirements make it one of the more expensive forms of fusion welding, but the quality and depth of the weld make it the better choice for specific situations, such as some aircraft applications.
Unlike other forms of welding, electron beam welding does not require a “filler wire” – a metal filament placed between the two pieces to be welded together. The entire weld is created by the metal of the pieces being joined. The radius of the EBW is very narrow, allowing it to work in situations where minimal heating of the overall material is desired.
A vacuum is needed to create the beam in EBW. Typically, a series of chambers at various levels can be used to create an EBW that can weld material out of a vacuum. Low-vacuum or no-vacuum methods, however, can sacrifice weld purity as well as decrease depth and increase width.
Electron beam welding has several advantages over other types of fusion welding. EBW’s greater depth-to-width ratio in vacuum makes it suitable for thick joints. The narrow beam travel also helps limit distortion of the welded materials by reducing the total surface area that is heated. Weld size can be more substantial than other types of welds, and EBW typically creates a stronger than average weld.
The nature of EBW can also make it useful in joining dissimilar metals. Electron beam welding can also work to join reactive metals – metals that react readily when heated – and refractory metals – heat resistant metals, with a melting point above 3000-3100°F (about 1650-1700°C) .
The most prohibitive feature of electron beam welding is the cost of the equipment, which is much more specialized than other fusion welding techniques. There may also be high installation costs before the weld is laid. The need to work within a vacuum can also prove to be limiting the size of parts that can be joined with EBW.
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