The Electron Beam Welding of Common Engineering Materials

The electron beam welding process is commonly misunderstood to be a process applicable only to exotic materials and exotic applications. Recent developments in the electron beam process, such as the soft vacuum innovation, have made the process generally applicable to high-production welding for the commercial industry. In this regard, consideration must be given to the welding of rimmed, killed, carburized, and free-machining steels. Each of these materials involve certain welding considerations to which the product designer must address himself.

The majority of the problems of welding common engineering materials by the electron beam process can be understood by examining the mechanism of electron beam welding and the practical aspects of the metallurgical and mechanical problems involved.