Electron beam welding is a reliable and efficient method of joining together a wide range of metals and is especially suited to the joining of precision foils 0.05mm thick and above. The welding process takes place in an evacuated chamber and offers important advantages for many manufacturing applications.

• Clean, reproducible, high integrity joints
• Low distortion
• No oxidisation
• Minimal weld bead
• Accuracy
• Repeatability
• Dissimilar and difficult to weld metals can be joined

Electron beam welding can significantly reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating production steps and wasted materials. Traditional post welding operations such as machining, straightening, cleaning and heat treatment can often be avoided, thus allowing the electron beam welding operation to be the final step prior to final assembly.

The Electron Beam Welding Process

Electron beam welding must be performed under vacuum, so the workpiece is placed in a chamber which can be evacuated. Above this chamber is an electron gun.

At the top of the electron gun is a cathode which consists of a wolfram band through which a heavy current flows. This band will reach a temperature of approximately 2500 Deg.C and will emit a current of electrons. Lower down the gun is an anode ring which accelerates the electrons to 50-70% of the velocity of light, at a tension of up to 60kV. Below the anode there is a magnetic lens (a coil) capable of controlling the electron beam and focusing it wherever the workpieces are required to be joined.

In the vacuum chamber, the workpieces are generally placed in a motorised manipulator which will move them in relation to the electron beam producing either axial or linear welds.