Plasma / laser / electron beam
Plasma is a constricted electric arc, laser is a photon beam and an electron beam is a stream of accelerated electrons. All can create a narrow weld with a small heat-affected zone, but process stability depends on different factors: nozzle geometry and gases in PAW; resonator type, wavelength, emission mode, optics and absorption in laser welding; and electron gun, accelerating voltage, vacuum, beam current and magnetic cleanliness in EBW.
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Plasma is a constricted electric arc, laser is a photon beam and an electron beam is a stream of accelerated electrons. All can create a narrow weld with a small heat-affected zone, but process stability depends on different factors: nozzle geometry and gases in PAW; resonator type, wavelength, emission mode, optics and absorption in laser welding; and electron gun, accelerating voltage, vacuum, beam current and magnetic cleanliness in EBW.
PAW is more often treated as an arc process using U·I·η/v. For laser and EBW, it is more practical to consider beam power, spot diameter, focus and speed. In both cases, the result depends on absorption, beam position relative to the joint and surface condition.
What the module covers
- Three highly concentrated energy sources — three different equipment systems, sources and emission modes.
- Common principle: energy density determines weld shape
- ISO 4063 — correct process numbers
- Equipment types — what must be specified before saying ‘laser’, ‘plasma’ or ‘EBW’
- PAW — types of plasma equipment and torch modes
- Laser equipment — source, wavelength, emission and beam delivery
- Emission and beam-shaping modes — why power alone is insufficient
- EBW — types of electron-beam equipment
Continue with the practical module.
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