Electromagnetic pulse welding is an innovative solid-state pressure welding technology that uses electromagnetic forces to deform and join materials. Compared to fusion welding processes, it offers important advantages, since the metallic bond is realised by pressure instead of heat. Advantages include joining of dissimilar metals, high repeatability and low environmental impact. The limited temperature increase allows for immediate unloading and further processing of the welded parts. Being contactless, the process allows joining of coated or sensitive materials.
To date, however, there are no standards available for this process. This prevents the further implementation of the welding process in industry, and hence the benefits to be realised. This increased use of the welding process has created the need for a normative framework, to ensure that welding is performed in the most effective manner and that appropriate controls are performed over all aspects of implementation.
The objective of the project is to carry out research to generate all necessary knowledge and data for the future development of a standard for this welding process; such as information on mechanical properties, weldable materials, material combinations and dimensions, recommendations about the minimum tests to be carried out, suitable welding parameters and welding windows, quality requirements and acceptance criteria, and this for a wide range of materials.
These objectives are directly related to the topics that will be addressed in the future process standard. Research was conducted about the following topics and recommendations were formulated that can be used as a basis for the further development of a standard:
- welding knowledge, terminology and vocabulary,
- design of welded joints,
- qualification of welding operators,
- qualification of welding procedures,
- quality inspection and acceptance criteria.
To achieve these goals, international cooperation was established with the International Impulse Forming Group I2FG (www.I2FG.org).
The documents were prepared and transferred to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). These documents were first accepted as technical documents. Later, a workgroup was created in TC121 (workgroup WG 22), to transform the documents to draft standards. The standard was divided into 5 parts, specifically :
- Part 1: Welding knowledge, terminology and vocabulary (link)
- Part 2: Design of welded joints (link)
- Part 3: Qualification of welding operators and weld setters (link)
- Part 4: Specification and qualification of welding procedures (link)
- Part 5: Quality and inspection requirements (link)
The drafts were circulated to all CEN members for comments and feedback. The drafts have been approved by the WG and is submitted to CEN for formal approval. The publication of the standard by CEN is foreseen for May 2024.
Acknowledgements
This pre-normalisation project was supported by FPS Economy (Project No. CCN/NBN/PN1902).
| Web resources: | https://www.bil-ibs.be/en/project/electromagnetic-pulse-welding-similar-and-dissimilar-materials-weldability-and-mechanical |
| Start date: | 01-12-2019 |
| End date: | 30-11-2021 |
These objectives are directly related to the topics that will be addressed in the future process standard. Research was conducted about the following topics and recommendations were formulated that can be used as a basis for the further development of a standard:
- welding knowledge, terminology and vocabulary,
- design of welded joints,
- qualification of welding operators,
- qualification of welding procedures,
- quality inspection and acceptance criteria.
These objectives are directly related to the topics that will be addressed in the future process standard. Research was conducted about the following topics and recommendations were formulated that can be used as a basis for the further development of a standard: