Welding, soldering, and brazing are methods of creating solid connections.
Also, you can fill gaps in the metal with these techniques.
However, they are different.
Choosing the right technique depends, therefore, on the material, required strength, and tools.
Soldering
Unlike welding, joining materials do not melt in the process of soldering.
When soldering, a melt-free material adds to the gap between the joining surfaces.
Soldering is about:
- Low temperature (the soldering temperature is not enough to ” loosening” the molecules);
- Different metals (the range of welding materials is much wider – from gold and silver to copper and iron);
- Strength (the solder joint has less strength than the welded joint).
- Flux which reacts with surfaces and solder.
Brazing
Brazing suits for joining of dissimilar metals and flowing a filler metal into the joint.
It is performed at relatively low temperature.
Brazing is about:
- Joining metals with melting filler (when brazing, a melt-free material is added to the gap between the surfaces to be joined);
- Low temperature (the melting point of the filler should be lower than that of the metals to be joined);
- Dissimilar metals such as aluminum, copper, silver, and gold;
- Liquid flux;
- Strength (duration and labor intensity of high-quality brazing are not inferior to welding works).
Welding
By welding, a metal compound heats to a melting point.
Welding is about:
- Similar metals (for instance, you can’t weld steel to copper);
- A high temperature achieved at energy concentration sufficient for local heating of the metal to the melting point and higher;
- Filler materials such as additional pieces of steel;
- Different welding techniques to supply the right amount of energy to the welding point;
- Strength.
Good welding work is not comparable to any other in terms of durability and conductivity.
The connection of molten metals results in a strong bonding of the product elements or structure.
To sum up, different types of work require different techniques.
Before you start working, you have to understand a few important things.
Two most important of them are the type of metal and the desired joint strength.
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