ELECTRON BEAM WELDING PROCESS AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Electron Beam Welding (EBW) is one of the advanced welding technologies required for the precision welding applications and particularly suitable for welding high thickness plates with minimum distortion levels. It Is an emerging technology, which is mainly used in automotive, aerospace and defence related fields. The remarkable capabilities of the process range from the assembly of welded micro electronic circuitry to the joining of heavy structural sections, using a single pass at relatively high welding speeds. Complex shapes can be fabricated which are difficult and sometimes almost impossible by conventional methods. Requirement for a reliable and consistent joint have promoted the use of EB technology. This is a process that could be used to achieve dramatic reduction in welding t ime and hence t he manufacturing cost.

Due to the possibility of the high automation and good reproduction, electron beam welding has got significant advantages. This is the only process used to join the high melting point refractory metals with very high quality and very low distortion. The metallurgical cleanliness of the weld is excellent. It has proved to be a flexible, versatile and practicable industrial process.