We Know the Secrets to High Production Volume Electron Beam Welding

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Electron beam welding is a complex process, but if approached cogently, it can be highly cost effective. This is how we approach EB welding at EB Industries.

Electron beam welding (EBW) is a unique welding technology that allows for very high strength welds and exceptional weld penetration (over 2” in solid steel) with a small heat-affected zone.  The challenge with EBW involves the requirement that the welding process must occur under high vacuum. Some engineers think welding inside a relatively small vacuum chamber makes it a poor choice for high production jobs. This common misconception could not be further from the truth.

EB Industries follows a proprietary method for electron beam welding large quantities of parts with exceptional quality at a very affordable price.  We are able to save our customers 15 to 30% when compared to welding in house or through other welding shops.  Our expertise comes from over 49 years of experience helping customers in industries such as aerospace, automotive, defense and medical.

How do we do this?  Our approach is based on a four-step process:

Step 1 – We work collaboratively with customers to design electron beam welding (EBW) into the part.

The process starts with getting engineers together in the early stages of a project so that the part is designed for electron beam welding. Considerations need to be given to many factors, including how to fixture the part, joint design, and more. Early communication is key. We start collaborating with our customers at the point of an RFQ, putting our engineers on the phone with customers’ engineers as soon as possible.

Step 2 – Exceptional tooling is required, and this is our specialty.

There’s no escaping the fact that for electron beam welding, the parts need to be in a vacuum. The challenge is in knowing how to make each pump down count, and we know exactly how to do this. EBI has an array of proprietary tooling that maximizes the number of parts in a chamber. Additionally, we equip the chamber with added elements, such as CNC controllers and video inspection systems.

Step 3 – We focus on redundancy and automation.

Production costs soar when the line goes down, so we’ve invested in our business to make sure the line never goes down. We believe in redundancy in everything: multiple machines; multiple operators, controllers, power supplies, vacuum pumps, tooling etc. Also, our machine controls are automated to eliminate the chance of human error.

Step 4 – Our operations are process-driven, with true quality control.

In many ways, electron beam welding is not like other welding techniques.  It requires a high degree of technical knowledge, as well as a feel for its nuances.. Electron beam welding operations need to be driven by repeatable processes which can be measured and monitored. Additionally, electron beam welders need clear boundaries of parameters that they can operate within – but they also need to be allowed flexibility to create a high quality weld. Quality management in electron beam welding is a balancing act that can only be mastered through experience, and at EB Industries that’s exactly what we offer.

We’d be happy to tell you more about high volume production processing electron beam welding. Call EB Industries at 1-888-978-7035.