• Cambridge Vacuum Engineering

Electron Beam Welding System

Cambridge Vacuum Engineering offers an Electron Beam Welding (EBW) system. EBW is particularly suitable in applications requiring precision and reproducibility and is often deployed for the fabrication of high value components where quality assurance is critical. Performance is controlled by managing electrical and mechanical process parameters. When coupled with automated loading systems EBW can dependably be used in most production line situations - each weld, within limits, being the same. To ensure the highest quality welds the management of electrical and mechanical variables has to be supplemented by monitoring the resultant characteristics of the electron beam itself. The standard method is to make test welds and then to section them for detailed inspection. This is a time consuming, uncertain and difficult process. The company (under licence from the TWI), now offers a second generation system that makes measurement and control of the beam an easy everyday procedure. Providing quantitative8rather than qualitative, data and presenting it in accordance with standard statistical and analytical methods the system allows real time beam analysis and control. Advantages: quicker, easier and more certain than making and inspecting series of trial welds, essential for adherence to the highest quality standards, enables the system to be run at its optimum levels, improves welding reproducibility, provides for certification in quality processes and audits, ensures quality welds in valuable components that are difficult to recover from weld failure.