Tube to tubesheet welding by electron beam for heat exchanger application

The EB-process can successfully be used to weld in tubes into tubesheet also for those materials which are sensitiv to hot cracking. The range of qualified welding parameters has been evaluated based on a lot of metallographic and microanalysis inspections. To obtain reproducable and perfect welds a microcomputer controlled welding cycle is recommended using beam deflection, automatic seam tracking, beam current- and focus control. The results can be adopted to the specific conditions of mobile welding equipment with local vacuum. (orig.)