Accepted Manuscript Electron beam welding – Techniques and trends – Review (original) (raw)
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Electron beam welding has proved phenomenal in welding of components used in space because it uses a vacuum environment which eliminates substances like oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. The main advantage of EBW is its ability to weld dissimilar materials and incorporate desirable properties in the assembly. It has high depth to width ratio and focuses exactly on the portion to be welded, thereby reducing the weld area, making it one of the most suitable welding processes. In this study, welding has been done on a circular heterogeneous component using an electron beam welding machine to determine the effect of beam current, speed of weld and dissolution on the bead geometry, hardness at the weld bead and the heat affected zone. This component is made up of AISI 304(Austenitic) and AISI 446 (Ferrite) stainless steel, both of which are widely used in space applications.
Experimental investigation of electron beam welding of AA1350 aluminum alloy
Aluminum's unique properties, e.g. light weight, high strength, and resistance to corrosion, make it an ideal material for use in conventional and novel applications. Aluminum has become increasingly used in the production of aerospace equipment, automobiles and trucks, packaging of food and beverages. However it suffers from poor joint strength when welded by conventional fusion welding. In this investigation an attempt has been made to improve the welded joint strength through using of electron beam welding (EBW). Due to special features of EBW, e.g. high energy density and accurately controllable beam size and location, in many cases it has proven to be an efficient method for joining difficult to weld materials. In this paper, the effects of EBW parameters on the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) has been investigated, The experiments were based on one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) method,
Electron beam welding: copper components by wire-based additive manufacturing
DVS-Berichte Band 389, 2023
The additive manufacturing of copper faces following challenges:-high thermal conductivity-significant light reflectivity-sever oxide formation. The electron beam is predestined to meet these challenges due to the high power available, the high efficiency of the process energy and the operation in vacuum. Directed energy deposition with the electron beam (DED-EB) allows the production of large-scale copper components at high deposition rates with high quality. Commonly, the semi-finished product is built on a base plate which must be removed afterwards. However, it is also possible to add copper features to a base component which is part of the final product. This base product may be out of copper or another metal if no metallurgical restrictions apply. The aim of this paper is to report on microstructure and material properties and to present case studies of copper components.
Electron beam welding of large components for the nuclear industry
MATEC Web of Conferences, 2019
The nuclear industry requires rapid and high quality joining of large scale components. Electron beam welding (EBW) has the potential to respond to these requirements. The aim of Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) is to develop solutions for the future application of this technology. One example is the research on deep penetration EBW for joining large scale pressure vessels for small modular nuclear reactors. This will require several circumferential welds of ~ 6 metres length each. In addition joining of sections of the upper and lower vessel heads and of HIP sections with varying wall thickness must be developed. In collaboration with the US Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) the Nuclear AMRC is working to produce two-thirds scaled demonstrators of the lower and the upper pressure vessel assembly (based on a generic NuScale model). 100 mm deep single track, full penetration welds of pressure vessel steel have been demonstrated. In addition, within 26 minutes joining of shells was achieved with 6 metres long circumferential welds (78 mm full penetration). In future the joining of complex sections and sections with variable thickness will be investigate.
A study on Electron Beam Welding of Stainless steel (03X12H10MTPY) with Russian copper alloy
— Modern age demand for flexible design and high quality structures. Different properties are essential for different parts and use of dissimilar metals joints gives possibilities of flexible design and products by using each material efficiently. EBW is one of the most widely used application in industries for joining dissimilar materials .The advantages of EBW welding is its high energy density, high depth to width ratio, low HAZ and result in very strong weld and low residual stress .The quality of weld depend upon the parameter accelerating voltage, beam current, focus current, welding speed, beam shifts and vacuum levels. The beam shift, focus current and vacuum level are fixed parameters .The primary objective of the project is to optimizing the parameter to obtain best quality weld based on Taguchi L9 array. Micro-indentation hardness and Electron spectroscopy is also carried out in selected welding sets to study the joint characteristics. It is observed that the optimum parameter levels for 3mm penetration in both parent metal are Accelerating voltage 50KV, beam current 38mA, welding speed 1 m/min.
Characterisation of electron beam welded aluminium alloys
Science and Technology of Welding and Joining, 1999
2024 and 6061, were butt welded by autogenous electron beam (EB) welding. The fusion welding of alloy 5005 is not Electron beam (EB) welding was performed on three expected to present any major difficulty. The formation of diVerent aluminium alloys, namely alloys 2024, 5005, porosity may be the only concern in the welding of this and 6061 (plate thickness 5 mm except alloy 5005 alloy. On the other hand, the base metal mechanical which was 3 mm in thickness), to establish the local properties may be degraded in autogenous welding of alloys microstructure-property relationships that would 2024 and 6061. Furthermore, alloys 2024 and 6061 are both satisfy the service requirements for an electron beam crack sensitive alloys, and thus are more difficult to fusion welded aluminium alloy component with weld zone weld.1-4 However, the high thermal gradient from the weld strength undermatching. Microstructural characterinto the base metal in the low heat input EB process isation of the weld metals was carried out by optical creates very limited metallurgical modifications, and crack and scanning electron microscopy. A very low level sensitivity is therefore reduced. Owing to the low heat input, of porosity was observed in all EB welds owing the heat affected zone (HAZ) produced in EB welding is to surface cleaning before welding and the vacuum very narrow,5 and thus the problems associated with the environment of the EB welding process. Extensive HAZ are limited. However, as a result of the very high microhardness measurements were also conducted in temperatures experienced in the fusion zone, the loss of the weld regions of the joints. Global tensile properties some elements, for example vaporisation of magnesium, and f racture toughness properties (in terms of crack occurs during EB welding. The loss of such strengthening tip opening displacement, CT OD) of the EB joints were elements may degrade the mechanical properties of the determined at room temperature. T he eVects of strength welds by affecting the weld pool chemistry;6,8 also, in this mismatch and local microstructure on fracture case the strength of the fusion zone cannot be restored to toughness of the EB joints are discussed. T he purthat of the base metal by post-weld heat treatment. Several pose of the present paper is to report the partial researchers6,8-15 have reported the loss of alloying elements results of the European Brite-Euram project ASPOW in the welding of aluminium alloys. A common way of (assessment of quality of power beam weld joints; partially restoring the mechanical properties of the weld BRPR-CT 95-0021), which has been undertaken region is by the use of adequate filler alloy during welding. predominantly by industrial companies to establish The loss of strength in the fusion zone will cause a strain a European f ramework for destructive and nonconcentration in addition to the geometrical strain condestructive testing and assessment criteria for laser and centration that occurs if such a weld is exposed to an electron beam welds of over 20 metallic materials. external loading. Confined plasticity development within the undermatched EB weld zone will therefore reduce the Dr Ç am, Mr Ventzke, Dr Dos Santos, and Dr Koçak plastic straining capacity of the weld joint under tensile are at the GKSS Research Center, Institute of loading, as well as increasing the constraint within the Materials Research, Max-Planck-Strasse, D-21502 weld zone.16 An increase in constraint owing to confined Geesthacht, Germany, and Mr Jennequin and Mr plasticity may cause a reduction in the fracture toughness Gonthier-Maurin are with CNIM, Zone Industrielle of the sandwiched fusion zone, compared to an 'all fusion de Bregaillon, BP 208, F-83507 L a Seyne-Sur-Mer zone' compact tensile (CT) specimen. Of course, such an Cedex, France. Manuscript
Journal of Micromanufacturing, 2019
Electron beam welding (EBW) is a well-established joining method in the field of manufacturing. If this technology is downscaled to a micro-level (i.e., micro-EBW (µ-EBW)), it will be able to solve a variety of problems. The necessity of adopting µ-EBW technology lies with the fact that it can be used from micro-mechanical fabrication to micro-electronics components joining, micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), medical instrument, etc. µ-EBW has some special properties like the possibility of obtaining exact focussing of the beam and conducting measurement up to micrometer level, accurate control of energy input, inertia-free manipulation, high-frequency oscillation movement and ability to work under high vacuum chamber. µ-EBW has several important applications like micro-joining and micro-fabrication, which is welding of dissimilar materials. This article deals with a review of the recent developments, significant applications, and advantages of µ-EBW, multiple modes of joining ...
Electron beam characterisation methods and devices for welding equipment
Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2015
The aerospace industry has high quality requirements for fabrication, and critically monitors manufacturing processes as well as inspecting components and assemblies. Electron beam welding is used in an increasing number of quality critical applications because of its inherent advantages over other processes especially for titanium. Ensuring the beam quality is maintained for such applications requires probing of the electron beam itself, and not just monitoring of process parameters. This paper gives an overview of the development of a novel two-slit beam probing system that is simpler in design and can be used for high power welding applications. It has been found that within the EB gun itself, small changes can produce large enough variations in beam characteristics to give unpredictable welding or processing performance. Precise monitoring of these beam qualities is required to improve quality assurance, enable the transfer of processing between EB machines and to ensure accurate assessment of new production equipment.
Application of Electron Beam Welding Technique for Joining Ultrafine-Grained Aluminum Plates
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A
The present study is the first attempt to join ultrafine-grained materials by electron beam welding. The aim of the study was to check the feasibility and effectiveness of this type of welding for thermally unstable materials. The results obtained are of high interest, while the welding did cause a decline in mechanical properties, the results were comparable to those obtained using solid-state welding, but with a significant advantage of narrower fusion- and heat-affected zones.