Electron-beam welding

Type of technology

Joining techniques

Development phase

advanced

Level of innovation

enterprise level

Scale of production

mass

Technology readiness level TRL

Description of the technology

Purpose of use

joining various materials

Use in industry

aerospace industry, energy (including nuclear power) industry, automotive industry, offshore industry, shipbuilding industry

General characteristics

Electron-beam welding is a welding process in which electrons are generated by an electron gun and accelerated to high speeds by electric fields. This high-speed electron beam is focused using magnetic fields and applied to the materials to be joined. The electron beam generates kinetic heat as it strikes the workpieces, causing them to melt and join.

Alternative technologies

Visualisation

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

  • provides a high-quality surface finish
  • high accuracy
  • can be used for small-diameter products
  • higher melting point for some materials
  • any material can be machined
  • it does not generate heat at the welding point (instead the material is melted using electrons)

Disadvantages

  • high cost of equipment and consumables
  • not suitable for thin metal sheet
  • low speed compared to other methods
  • time required for adequate preparation prior to welding
  • for use by qualified personnel only

Workpiece material types

  • all material groups
  • ferrous metals
  • non-ferrous metals
  • non-ferrous metals alloys

Examples of products

  • copper hairpin pins (part of drive stators in electric cars)
  • batteries
  • cooling systems
  • gear wheels
  • jet engines

Implementation of technology

Required resources

  • vacuum generator
  • electron beam gun

Required competences

  • high operator qualification
  • machine tools with a special head

Environmental aspects

Water consumption

Energy consumption

Waste generated

Expert evaluation

Competitiveness

Usability

Environmental impact

Development centers

  • AGH University of Krakow
  • Opole University of Technology
  • Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of Polish Academy of Sciences
  • Warsaw University of Technology
  • Cracow University of Technology

Legal conditions

  • none

Companies using technology

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