power beam weldingPHOTO : Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals

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Design Responses > About Materials > Processes >
Power Beam Welding

JOINING TECHNOLOGIES
Like arc welding, power beam welding joins materials by heating and melting the joint interface, which solidifies to form a high integrity weld. The difference is that power beam processes do not rely on the formation of an electric arc between the welding electrode and workpiece to generate heat. Heat is produced by the concentration of energy in the power beam, which is either electron or laser. Laser beam welding (LBW) is suitable for joining both plastics and metals. It has been used in a wide range of industrial applications, including the construction of the Audi A2 aluminium chassis. LBW is an alternative to TIG welding titanium and is up to ten times faster in certain applications.

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