EB Industries is the preeminent Electron Beam Welding services provider throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, since 1965. Our electron beam welding services have produced millions of parts, and our customers range from small manufacturers to some of the biggest companies in the Aerospace, Medical and Energy industries. We are ISO 9001:2015/AS9100D and NADCAP certified, have full engineering and metallurgy capabilities as well as extensive pre and post processing services.

Complex Eb Weld
A beautiful, complex EB weld, made possible by precision CNC table tracking.

High Precision Automated Electron Beam Welding

There are some welding applications that are mission critical - where weld location accuracy and precision require the most sophisticated welding process available. Meet EB WeldCube, a fully automated precision welding system that’s a game changer.

See This

What is Electron Beam Welding

Electron beam welding is the ultimate fusion welding process. Electrons are generated (via an electron gun) and then accelerated to very high speeds using electrical fields. This high speed stream of electrons is then focused using magnetic fields and precisely applied to the materials to be joined. As the electrons impact the materials their kinetic energy is converted to heat, which causes the metals to melt and flow together. Electron beam welding generally occurs in a vacuum as the presence of gas molecules can scatter the beam.

Because of the high voltages involved in EB welding, and the required vacuum, the entire process is computer controlled and heavily automated. The precise nature of the technology often calls for specialized fixtures to secure parts for joining, and CNC tables are commonly used to move the fixtures and workpieces within the welding chamber.

Electron beam welders are very expensive, must be tightly maintained, and the support required by the high voltage and high vacuum technologies can be demanding. However, electron beam welds are incredibly precise, strong and pure, the entire process accurately repeatable, and for many applications and materials, electron beam welding is the best joining technology there is.

Application Advantages of Electron Beam Welding

Precise Control, Excellent Weld Depth

Weld penetration can be closely controlled — from a minuscule 0.001 inches to a depth of up to 2 inches.

Small Heat Affected Zone

Electron beam welding has a very high depth-to-width ratio. This allows for a deep and very narrow heat affected zone, which minimizes material shrinkage and distortion and allows welds in close proximity to heat sensitive components.

Strength

EB welds retain up to 95% of the strength of the base materials.

High Purity

Because electron beam welding takes place in a vacuum environment, impurities such as oxides and nitrides are eliminated and impurities in the materials are simply vaporized. This results in extremely clean welds perfect for joining a wide range of metal alloys.

Versatile

Electron Beam welding is excellent for joining refractory and dissimilar metals which are not weldable with the conventional welding process.

Production Capable

Our CNC controlled welders ensure precise control and repeatability at feed rates from 1 to 200 inches per minute.

Eb Weld Cross Section
The purity of this electron beam weld is apparent in this magnified cross section: the weld spike can barely be distinguished from the base material.

A comparison of welding processes:

Electron Beam Laser Conventional/Manual
Typical Weld Cost $$$ $ $$
Size Restrictions Limited to vacuum chamber size Workstation dependent None if done manually
Dissimilar Materials Excellent Good w/ stir welding Challenging
Magnetic Materials Challenging Excellent Process dependent
Depth (max penetration) 3 inches 1 inch Shallow w/out multipass & notch
Width to Depth ratio (min w/d%) Extraordinary (10%) Excellent (25%) Poor (various)
Heat Generated Low/medium Low (pulsed)/High (CW) High
Purity (no electrode/filler) 100% 100% Limited based on process
Repeatable Highly with CNC Highly with CNC Limited/manual w/out CNC
Hard to reach area Excellent Good – gas coverage concerns Limited
Capital Investment (barrier to entry) $$$$$ $$$ $

Case Study

  • Service: Electron Beam Welding
  • Sector: Aerospace
  • Customer: ValveTech
  • Product: Thruster Valves

ValveTech makes thrusters that are used on spacecraft. They need welds that are 100% reliable, and they need exceptional customer service to help them keep pace with development and delivery. ValveTech relies on EB Industries as a trusted partner to help hit those launch dates. Find out about it. Click the link below.