Brazing is a metal joining process, using filler metal which is heated to melting and flows into the joint. This is similar to soldering in that only the filler metal is melted, and not the base metal. However, brazing provides a higher joint strength due to the use of different, higher melting temperature filler materials. In brazing the melting point of the filler metal is lower than that of the base metal and the joining takes place without melting of the base metal. Whereas, welding involves melting both the filler and the base metals in order to form the joint.
The main advantage of brazing is that since it does not require melting the base metals the dimensional integrity of the base metal parts is maintained to a much higher degree than for welding.
This is especially beneficial for use with repetition engineering as often the parts being produced by repetition engineering require a very precise adherence to the specified tolerances. Another advantage is that brazing produces clean joints which, unlike welding, do not require a secondary process such as grinding the excess material away.Brazing can also be used to join dissimilar metals, which can be more problematic for welding.
There is a variety of filler alloy compositions which can be used in brazing. The composition of the filler alloy is selected to ensure it meets the service requirement, achieves the required flow properties for the joint design, and that it melts at a lower temperature than the base metal(s).
Some other important considerations regarding the brazing process include ensuring a suitable joint clearance in the base metals, and ensuring the cleanliness of the parts to be joined. There are some considerations to make when deciding whether brazing is a suitable joining method for your multi-part assemblies. One of these is that the service temperature of brazed joints is more limited than it is for welded joints. The other main consideration is that the joint strength of a brazed joint is limited by that of the filler metal which tends to be less than that of the base metals.
Brazing is a metal joining process that is well suited to joining repetition engineered parts, as it has minimal impact on the dimensions of the machined parts. This is because brazing does not require melting of the base metal parts in order to join the parts and provide a clean joint. Brazing does have some limitations in service strength and temperature. To find out if brazing is suited to your multi-part assemblies talk to us today.