75
Contemporary Machining Processes
1.13.2 Promising joining Technologies
Böllinghaus et al. (2009) wrote that gas-shielded arc welding retained a dominant
position, but its development slowed down. Resistance welding was expected to prevail due to its process performance and productivity, but in some applications it
would be replaced by mechanical joining and adhesive bonding, or hybrid processes
such as a combination of resistance spot welding with adhesive bonding. Due to the
rapid development of laser technology and its transfer to applications, its continuing
growth is expected, while the rise of electron beam welding will possibly slow down.
The electron beam welding process is an advanced fusion welding technique able
to fabricate structural parts with a high dimensional precision inducing minimum
thermal stresses and distortion (Chowdhury et al., 2021). Although electron beam
welding has been known for over 60 years, in the last decade it has attracted the
growing interest in science and industry. In comparison with other methods of joining, electron beam welding has the following advantages (Węglowski et al., 2016):
• It has an extremely high power density of about 107 W cm−2 at the beam
focus.
• Energy transfer occurs by the conduction of heat across the surface of a
workpiece itself.
• As no edge preparation is necessary, regardless of workpiece thickness, the
filler metal is generally not required.
• High welding speed results in narrow welds and heat-affected zones with
little distortion of the workpiece.
• Inertia-free oscillation of the electron beam makes it possible in many cases
to join materials otherwise considered unsuitable for welding.
• Variable working distance allows workpieces of widely differing shapes to
be welded.
• As welding is carried out under a vacuum, no consumables (gases, fluxes)
are required to protect the weld pool from oxidation.
• Short evacuating times can be achieved by adopting a working chamber to
suit the number and size of workpieces.
• Computer monitoring and control of electrical and mechanical welding
parameters are possible.
• Welding parameters, and thus the quality of the welds produced, are highly
reproducible and consistent.
• At accelerating voltages above 60 kV, lead shielding is directly bonded to
the welding machine in order to prevent X-ray emission.
• Beam powers of far less than 1 to 300 kW are available for welding material
thicknesses of less than 0.5 to 300 mm.
• Machines are available for welding variable one-off components as well as
for use in mass production operations like in the automotive industry.
• Simple longitudinal weld seams can be made as well as complicated threedimensional components requiring the use of programmed welding parameters and workpiece manipulation.
Contemporary Machining Processes
1.13.2 Promising joining Technologies
Böllinghaus et al. (2009) wrote that gas-shielded arc welding retained a dominant
position, but its development slowed down. Resistance welding was expected to prevail due to its process performance and productivity, but in some applications it
would be replaced by mechanical joining and adhesive bonding, or hybrid processes
such as a combination of resistance spot welding with adhesive bonding. Due to the
rapid development of laser technology and its transfer to applications, its continuing
growth is expected, while the rise of electron beam welding will possibly slow down.
The electron beam welding process is an advanced fusion welding technique able
to fabricate structural parts with a high dimensional precision inducing minimum
thermal stresses and distortion (Chowdhury et al., 2021). Although electron beam
welding has been known for over 60 years, in the last decade it has attracted the
growing interest in science and industry. In comparison with other methods of joining, electron beam welding has the following advantages (Węglowski et al., 2016):
• It has an extremely high power density of about 107 W cm−2 at the beam
focus.
• Energy transfer occurs by the conduction of heat across the surface of a
workpiece itself.
• As no edge preparation is necessary, regardless of workpiece thickness, the
filler metal is generally not required.
• High welding speed results in narrow welds and heat-affected zones with
little distortion of the workpiece.
• Inertia-free oscillation of the electron beam makes it possible in many cases
to join materials otherwise considered unsuitable for welding.
• Variable working distance allows workpieces of widely differing shapes to
be welded.
• As welding is carried out under a vacuum, no consumables (gases, fluxes)
are required to protect the weld pool from oxidation.
• Short evacuating times can be achieved by adopting a working chamber to
suit the number and size of workpieces.
• Computer monitoring and control of electrical and mechanical welding
parameters are possible.
• Welding parameters, and thus the quality of the welds produced, are highly
reproducible and consistent.
• At accelerating voltages above 60 kV, lead shielding is directly bonded to
the welding machine in order to prevent X-ray emission.
• Beam powers of far less than 1 to 300 kW are available for welding material
thicknesses of less than 0.5 to 300 mm.
• Machines are available for welding variable one-off components as well as
for use in mass production operations like in the automotive industry.
• Simple longitudinal weld seams can be made as well as complicated threedimensional components requiring the use of programmed welding parameters and workpiece manipulation.