Sciaky has designed and manufactured Electron Beam (EB) welding systems at the Chicago, IL USA facility since 1959. EB technology provides for highly efficient joining of weldable materials from thin foils to heavy sections, most commonly in a vacuum environment. Producing very little distortion, EB welding systems are capable of high speed and accuracy and are suitable for the fabrication of high precision assemblies. Over the years, the electron beam product line has included high voltage (150 kV) and low voltage (60 kV) machines, selective surface heat-treating equipment, and physical vapor deposition systems. Most EB machines sold over the past twenty-five years have included an integrated process control system to synchronize the welding parameters with axes motion.

While most EB weld systems are used for autogenous joining, the aircraft engine overhaul industry has been performing repair operations on knife-edge seal surfaces using EB welding with wire buildup for approximately 20 years, on parts using several different alloy systems. This is an example of EBW additive processing that has been in production for decades on flight hardware.

By taking advantage of selected design elements from our EBW product line, Sciaky is currently manufacturing a system specifically designed for Electron Beam Free Form Fabrication (EBFFF). This presentation will focus on equipment details, design improvements, as well as, a recent application summary where Sciaky was tasked to build a “gimbal” assembly to demonstrate the EBFFF process.