Cascading pressure system for electron beam welding and electron beam welding method

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This patent describes a specialized cascading pressure (vacuum) system and process for electron beam welding, which makes use of at least two vacuum stages and a localized vacuum chamber at the joint zone between workpieces. The innovation allows for the creation of a strong local vacuum directly at the site where thick or large metal pieces are being joined, combining elements typically used in both vacuum and non-vacuum electron beam welding. The device enables flexible, high-quality welding of very thick and large metal parts, such as those needed in wind turbines and offshore structures, with improved weld depth and reduced distortion, all without requiring very large, expensive vacuum chambers.

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• Manufacturing and assembly of large-scale wind turbine towers and foundations, particularly offshore.
• Fabrication and repair of heavy steel structures with thick wall sections in construction, shipbuilding, and oil & gas industries.
• Production of pressure vessels, boilers, and large pipework requiring deep, strong weld joints.
• Joining large structural components in aerospace and heavy machinery sectors.
• Mobile or on-site welding of oversized or unwieldy metal parts, where moving parts into a traditional vacuum chamber is impractical.

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• Enables deep, narrow welds in very thick and large metal workpieces (e.g., 30 mm to 100+ mm) with high efficiency.
• Significantly reduces the requirement for massive, expensive vacuum chambers and associated infrastructure.
• Offers high weld quality with minimal heat-induced distortion due to concentrated energy delivery.
• Allows for greater flexibility and mobility—welding can be performed on large components in situ or in the field.
• Reduces welding time compared to conventional multi-pass arc welding techniques, increasing productivity.
• Minimizes energy consumption and operational complexity by focusing the vacuum only on the weld zone.
• Adapts to varying workpiece geometries due to the modular and scalable vacuum chamber design.

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Patent Abstract

The pressure tier system (1) comprises two cascading tiers, means, which seals a joining zone of workpiece to be connected against the environment so that a vacuum is produced on the joining zone, a base plate, which is connected to ends of first and the second pressure tubes and coupled to a beam producer of device for the electron beam welding, a pressure tier container connected to the second end of the first and the second pressure tube, a first nozzle coaxially received in the pressure tier container, and a nozzle cone coaxially received in the pressure tier container. The pressure tier system (1) comprises two cascading tiers, means, which seals a joining zone of workpiece to be connected against the environment so that a vacuum is produced on the joining zone, a base plate, which is connected to ends of first and the second pressure tubes and coupled to a beam producer of device for the electron beam welding, a pressure tier container connected to the second end of the first and the second pressure tube, a first nozzle coaxially received in the pressure tier container, a nozzle cone coaxially received in the pressure tier container, a cover cone surrounding the nozzle cone coaxially received in the pressure tier container, a second nozzle arranged between the tip of the nozzles cone and the cover cone, and a sealing lip with a brush sealing. The means comprises a local vacuum chamber (12, 13, 14), whose volume is less than 5 liter. The local vacuum chamber comprises two individual chambers and is formed in such a way that it is evacuatable over a venturi principle. The pumps (16) and/or compressor for producing the vacuum are connected on the joining zone of the workpiece to be connected on the means. The pressure tiers are formed in the form of the first pressure tube and second pressure tube arranged coaxially within the first pressure tube. The pressure tier system has a ratio of length and diameter of greater than 4:1 to a diameter of less than 80 millimeter. The electron beam welding is carried on a pressure range of greater than 10 ->4>. The sealing means (17) is pressed over spring elements on the component surface. An independent claim is included for an electron beam welding.