Electron beam welder

Electron beam welders set up and tend machines designed to join separate metal workpieces together through the use of a high-velocity electron beam. They monitor the machining processes providing an alteration in the kinetic energy of the electrons that allows for them to transform into heat for the metal to melt and join together in a process of precise welding.

The following job titles also refer to electron beam welder:

atomic welder
sheet-metal welder
electron beam welding machine operator
electric arc welder
construction welder
ultrasonic metal welder
sheet metal welder
flash welder
arc welder apprentice
weld technician
experimental welder
arc welder
combination welder
welder-fabricator
butt welder
electric spot welder
welder fabricator
welder-fitter
fitter-welder
robotic welder

A high school diploma is generally required to work as electron beam welder.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Electron beam welder is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to electron beam welder.

laser beam welder
riveter
spot welder
plasma cutting machine operator
spring maker

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of electron beam welder. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of electron beam welder with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

automated assembly line operator
pulp control operator
metal production supervisor
welding inspector
product development engineering technician

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of electron beam welder.

• Electron beam welding machine parts: The various parts of a metalworking machine designed to join metal pieces together using electron beams, such as the vacuum chamber, primary anode, cathode or electron gun, focusing coil, deflection coil, prism, telescope, and others.
• Statistical process control: Method of quality control that uses statistics to monitor processes.
• Manufacturing processes: The steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.
• Electron beam welding processes: The various processes of welding using electron beams, such as electron beam focusing, beam defelection, penetration, and others.
• Types of metal: Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.
• Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

These skills are necessary for the role of electron beam welder.

• Tend electron beam welding machine: Tend a metalworking machine designed to join metal pieces by use of an electron beam exuding a concentrated heat source, monitor and operate it according to regulations.
• Maintain vacuum chamber: Maintain the chamber or tank used in production processes to manufacture a workpiece in vacuum by preconditioning it, cleaning it, performing gas purging, changing the door seals, changing the filters, and others.
• Prepare pieces for joining: Prepare metal or other material workpieces for joining processes by cleaning the workpieces, checking their measurements with the technical plan and marking on the pieces where they’ll be joined.
• Monitor gauge: Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.
• Remove inadequate workpieces: Evaluate which deficient processed workpieces do not meet the set-up standard and should be removed and sort the waste according to regulations.
• Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
• Remove processed workpiece: Remove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.
• Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
• Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
• Read standard blueprints: Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.
• Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
• Use cam software: Use computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.
• Use automatic programming: Utilise specialised software tools to generate computer code from specifications, such as diagrams, structured informations or other means of describing functionality.
• Perform machine maintenance: Perform regular maintenance, possibly including corrections and alterations, on a machine or machine tool to ensure it remains in a proper productive state.
• Apply precision metalworking techniques: Comply with precision standards specific to an organisation or product in metalworking, involved in processes such as engraving, precise cutting, welding.
• Supply machine: Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.
• Ensure correct metal temperature: Ensure the necessary, usually constant, temperature of processed metal workpieces during metal fabrication processes.
• Program a cnc controller: Set up the desired product design in the CNC controller of the CNC machine for product manufacturing.
• Set up the controller of a machine: Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of electron beam welder. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Metal joining technologies: The various technologies used for the joining and assembling of fabricated metal workpieces.
• Quality and cycle time optimisation: The most optimal rotation or cycle time and over-all quality of a tool or a machine’s processes.
• Ferrous metal processing: Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.
• Welding techniques: The different methods of welding together pieces of metal using various equipment, such as oxygen-acetylene welding, gas metal arc welding and tungsten inert gas welding.
• Electrical discharge: Tthe qualities and applications of electrical discharge, including voltage and electrodes.
• Electric current: Flow of electric charge, carried by electrons or ions in a medium such as an electrolyte or a plasma.
• Manufacturing of small metal parts: The manufacture of metal cable, plaited bands and other articles of that typr, uninsulated or insulated cable not capable of being used as a conductor of electricity, coated or cored wire as well as barbed wire, wire fencing, grill, netting, cloth etc. Manufacture of coated electrodes for electric arc-welding, nails and pins, chain and springs (except watch springs): as well as leaves for springs.
• Manufacturing of metal containers: The manufacture of reservoirs, tanks and similar containers of metal, of types normally installed as fixtures for storage or manufacturing use. The manufacture of metal containers for compressed or liquefied gas.
• Manufacturing of heating equipment: The manufacture of electrical ovens and water heaters by metalworking processes.
• Types of metal manufacturing processes: Metal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.
• Electricity: Understand the principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.
• Manufacturing of weapons and ammunition: The manufacture of heavy weapons (artillery, mobile guns, rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, heavy machine guns), small arms (revolvers, shotguns, light machine guns), air or gas guns and pistols, and war ammunition. Also the manufacture of hunting, sporting or protective firearms and ammunition and of explosive devices such as bombs, mines and torpedoes.
• Manufacturing of steam generators: The manufacture of steam or other vapour generators, the manufacture of auxiliary plant for use with steam generators: condensers, economisers, superheaters, steam collectors and accumulators. The manufacture of nuclear reactors, parts for marine or power boilers. Also the production of pipe system construction comprising further processing of tubes generally to make pressure pipes or pipe systems together with the associated design and construction work.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of electron beam welder. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
• Supply machine with appropriate tools: Supply the machine with the necessary tools and items for a particular production purpose.
• Record production data for quality control: Keep records of the machine’s faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.
• Apply preliminary treatment to workpieces: Apply preparatory treatment, through mechanical or chemical processes, to the workpiece preceding the main operation.
• Spot metal imperfections: Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.
• Operate precision measuring equipment: Measure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, and a measuring gauge.
• Monitor automated machines: Continuously check up on the automated machine’s set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.
• Provide advice to technicians: Offer help and advice to service technicians in case of machine malfunctions and other repair tasks.
• Maintain mechanical equipment: Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect malfunction. Service, repair, adjust, and test machines, parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical principles. Maintain and repair vehicles meant for cargo, passengers, farming and landscaping.
• Ensure correct gas pressure: Ensure the necessary, usually constant, pressure of gas which is part of a machine or tool, such as torching equipment, used to process metal workpieces during metal fabrication processes.
• Consult technical resources: Read and interpret such technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.
• Smooth burred surfaces: Inspect and smooth burred surfaces of steel and metal parts.
• Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.

7212 – Welders and flamecutters

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References

1. Electron beam welder – ESCO