ELECTRON BEAM WELDING

Sahil Dhiman

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 1

 CONTENTS

Chapter Topics Slide Number

Electron Beam Welding

1.1 Need of EBW 3

1.2 Working Principle 4-8

1.3 Setup and Equipments 9-10

1
1.4 Process Parameters 11-12

1.5 Microstructural Analysis 13-15

1.6 Advantages, Disadvantages, and Applications 16-17

1.7 Acknowledgement 18

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 2

 NEED?
• Dr. Karl Heinz (German) – Development of first practical welding machine in 1958.

Figure 1. Comparison of single pass

EB weld profile with multi pass
submerged arc welded joint in 100mm Figure 2. Penetration depth
thickness C-Mn steel. (Image courtesy of EB weld. (Image courtesy
by: https://www.twi-global.com) by https://www.ptreb.com)

Figure 3. Comparison of EBW

over conventional welding.
(Image courtesy by PHM
Industries GmbH)
Figure 4. Comparison of EBW over TIG. (Image
courtesy by https://www.ebpglobal.com)

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 3

 WORKING PRINCIPLE

• Electron beams are composed of electrons that are charged particles having a rest
mass of 9.1x10-31 kg and can be accelerated in electron guns to relativistic velocities,
giving them high kinetic energies.

• At 10 kV (13 hp), electrons travel at approximately 20% of the speed of light, while at
200 kV (270 hp) they travel at approximately 70% the speed of light.

• The higher the potential difference between cathode and anode, the higher would be
the acceleration of the electrons. The electrons get the speed in the range of 50,000 to
200,000 km/s.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 4

 WORKING PRINCIPLE
Use kinetic energy of electrons to produce heat.
(a)

High energy electrons

impinged on the surface
generate localized heat
spots

(b)

Figure 6. Electron Beam Welding (Image

This heat is further used to courtesy of: http://www.twitraining.com)
weld two welding plates

Figure 5. (a):The Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (Image courtesy

of: http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk); (b) Electron Gun Cross
Section (Image courtesy of: https://commons.wikimedia.org)

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 5

 WORKING PRINCIPLE
• ELECTRON GUN

Figure 8. Electron Gun schematic (Image courtesy of:

https://physics.stackexchange.com)

Figure 7. A LaB6 filament.

(Image courtesy by:
http://www.snaggledworks.com)

Notes: LaB6: lanthanum hexaboride

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 6
 SETUP AND EQUIPMENTS
Electron beam welding is a liquid state welding process. Liquid state welding are those
welding processes in which, the metal to metal joint form in liquid or molten state [1].

Figure 9. EBW Process (Image courtesy of: Figure 10. Molten Pool during EBW [1]
https://www.mech4study.com)
[1] M. Chiumenti, M. Cervera, N. Dialami, B. Wu, L. Jinwei, and C. Agelet de Saracibar, “Numerical modeling of the electron beam welding and its experimental validation,” Finite Elem. Anal. Des., vol. 121, pp. 118–133, 2016.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 7

 SETUP AND EQUIPMENTS
POWER SUPPLY
• To supply continuous beam of electrons for welding process.
• The voltage range of welding is about 5 – 30 kV for low voltage equipment’s or for thin welding and 70 – 150 kV for high voltage equipment’s or for thick
welding.
ELECTRON GUN
• It is a cathode tube (negative pole) which generates electrons, accelerate them and focus it on a spot.
• This gun is mostly made by tungsten or tantalum alloys. The cathode filament heated up to 2500 degree centigrade for continuous emission of electrons.

ANODE
• Anode is a positive pole which is just after the electron gun.
• Its main function is to attract negative charge, (in this case electron) provide them a path and don’t allow them to diverge from its path.

MAGNETIC LENSES
• There are a series of magnetic lenses which allows only convergent electrons to pass.
• They absorb all low energy and divergent electrons, and provide a high intense electron beam.

ELECTROMAGNETIC LENS AND DEFLECTION COIL

• Electromagnetic lens used to focus the electron beam on work piece and deflection coil deflect the beam at required weld area.
• These are last unit of EBW process.

WORK HOLDING DEVICE

• EBW uses CNC table for hold work piece which can move in all three direction.
• The welding plates are clamped on CNC table with the use of suitable fixtures.

VACUUM CHAMBER
• whole this process takes place in a vacuum chamber. Vacuum is created by mechanical or electric driven pump.
• The pressure ranges in vacuum chamber is about 0.1 to 10 Pa.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 8

 PROCESS PARAMETERS

PROCESS
PARAMETERS

Accelerating
Beam Current Welding Speed Beam Focusing
Voltage

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 9

 PROCESS PARAMETERS - VOLTAGE
•A value of electrical potential, usually expressed in kilovolts, being utilized to accelerate
and increase the energy of the electrons being emitted by an electron beam gun.

•Increase in the voltage results into increase in the speed of electrons.

Figure 11. Relationship between electron speed with acceleration voltage. (Image
courtesy by: https://www.didaktik.physik.uni-muenchen.de)

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 10

 PROCESS PARAMETERS – BEAM CURRENT
• Close relation between electron beam current and depth of penetration.
• Beam current: measure of the quantity of charge (i.e., number of electrons), usually
expressed in units of milli amperes (mA), that flow per unit time in an electron beam.

Figure 12. Variation in DOP with Beam Current [2] Figure 13. Variation in Hardness at Weld and HAZ with
Increase in Beam Current [2]
[2] A. K., “Effect of Beam Current, Weld Speed and Dissolution on Mechnical and Microstructural Properties in Electron Beam Welding,” Int. J. Res. Eng. Technol., vol. 02, no. 06, pp. 1020–1029, 2013.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 11

 PROCESS PARAMETERS - SPEED
• Welding speed directly affects on depth of penetration of electron beam into work piece
• Higher speeds results into lower depth of penetration

Figure 14. Variation in DOP with Welding Speed [2] Figure 15. Variation in Hardness at Weld and HAZ with
Increase in Welding Speed [2]
[2] A. K., “Effect of Beam Current, Weld Speed and Dissolution on Mechnical and Microstructural Properties in Electron Beam Welding,” Int. J. Res. Eng. Technol., vol. 02, no. 06, pp. 1020–1029, 2013.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 12

 PROCESS PARAMETERS - SPEED
(a)

Figure 16. (a) Optical microstructure of different regions of dissimilar joint at lower welding speed (1000mm/min) condition [3].

(b)

Figure 17. (b) Optical microstructure of different regions of dissimilar joint at higher welding speed (1500mm/min) condition [3].
[3] S. K. Dinda, M. Basiruddin Sk, G. G. Roy, and P. Srirangam, “Microstructure and mechanical properties of electron beam welded dissimilar steel to Fe–Al alloy joints,” Mater. Sci. Eng. A, vol. 677, pp. 182–192, 2016.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 13

 MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
• Microstructural analysis of fusion and heat affected zones in electron beam welded ALLVAC®
718PLUSTM superalloy

Figure 18. Optical microstructure of the as-received 718 Plus alloy. [4]
[4] K. R. Vishwakarma, N. L. Richards, and M. C. Chaturvedi, “Microstructural analysis of fusion and heat affected zones in electron beam welded ALLVAC ® 718PLUS TM superalloy,” Mater. Sci. Eng. A, vol. 480, no. 1–2,
pp. 517–528, 2008.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 14

 MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
• Fusion zone microstructures Fusion zone consisting of cellular dendritic microstructure with an average
secondary dendrite arm spacing of 4m.
(a)
(b)

Figure 19. (a) Typical nail head type of weld profile of 718 Plus welds with porosity at the bottom; (b)
heat affected zone cracking as observed in the shoulder region of the nail head-shaped weld profile of
718 Plus alloy; no cracking was observed in the fusion zone [4].

[4] K. R. Vishwakarma, N. L. Richards, and M. C. Chaturvedi, “Microstructural analysis of fusion and heat affected zones in electron beam welded ALLVAC ® 718PLUS TM superalloy,” Mater. Sci. Eng. A, vol. 480, no. 1–2,
pp. 517–528, 2008.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 15

 MICROSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
• HAZ microstructures

Figure 20. SEM micrograph of HAZ showing

partially melted zone and liquation cracking
[4].

[4] K. R. Vishwakarma, N. L. Richards, and M. C. Chaturvedi, “Microstructural analysis of fusion and heat affected zones in electron beam welded ALLVAC ® 718PLUS TM superalloy,” Mater. Sci. Eng. A, vol. 480, no. 1–2,
pp. 517–528, 2008.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 16

 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

• It can weld both similar and dissimilar metals.

• It provides high metal joining rate.
• Low operating cost because no filler material and flux are used.
ADVANTAGES • It provide high finish welding surface.
• It can used to weld hard materials.
• Less welding defects occur due to whole process carried out in vacuum.

• High capital or set up cost.

• High skilled labour required.
• Frequently maintenance required.
DISADVANTAGES • Work pieces size is limited according to vacuum chamber.
• It cannot do at site due to vacuum.
0.097mm
• 60 kV 4 kW (610 mm3) electron beam welder including CNC controlled work
manipulation systems £220,000.00 i.e. 17609882.40 INR (1 £ = 80.02 INR)

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 17

 APPLICATIONS
APPLICATIONS:
• It is used in aerospace industries and marine industries for structure work
1

• It is used to join titanium and its alloy.

2

• This type of welding is widely used to join gears, transmission system, turbocharger etc. in automobile
3 industries.

• It is used to weld electronic connectors in electronic industries.

4
0.097mm
• This process is also used in nuclear reactors and in medical industries
5

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 18

 THANK YOU
0.097mm

Saturday, November 4, 2023 Presenter: Sahil Dhiman 19