What is electron beam welding used for
Electron beam welding is used to make extremely strong joins in metals. Electron beam welds typically retain 95% of the strength of the base material. The welds are also extremely pure because the process usually takes place in a vacuum. Impurities, such as oxides and nitrides are eliminated, and impurities in the materials are simply vaporized. Electron beam welding is an appropriate process for welding difficult to weld materials like titanium, refractory metals, and also hard to weld combinations of materials, like nickel to copper, etc. Electron beam welds can be applied to joints that are physically miniature or huge – the limiting factor is the size of the welder’s vacuum chamber. There are many applications for electron beam welding, including aerospace and defense, energy, automotive and marine. As an example of the versatility of electron beam welding, a spacecraft can have electron beam welded, load bearing structural components, as well as tiny electron beam welded thruster valves and control systems.