MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

Soldering & Brazing

Soldering & Brazing

In brazing and soldering, the surfaces to be
joined are first cleaned, the components
assembled or fixtured, and a low-melting-point
nonferrous metal is then melted, drawn into the
space between the two solids by capillary action,
and allowed to solidify.

Brazing
Brazing is the permanent joining of similar or
dissimilar metals or ceramics (or composites
based on those two materials) through the use of
heat and a filler metal whose melting
temperature (actually, liquidus temperature) is
above 450C but below the melting point (or
solidus temperature) of the materials being
joined.

Brazing vs Welding (DIFFERENCE)

1. The composition (or chemistry) of the brazing alloy is
significantly different from that of the base metal.
2. The strength of the brazing alloy is usually lower than
that of the base metal.
3. The melting point of the brazing alloy is lower than that
of the base metal, so none of the base metal is melted.
4. Bonding requires capillary action to distribute the filler
metal between the closely fitting surfaces of the joint.
The specific flow is dependent upon the viscosity of the
liquid, the geometry of the joint, and surface wetting
characteristics.
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Brazing Advantages
1. A wide range of metallic and nonmetallic
materials can be brazed. The process is ideally
suited for joining dissimilar materials, such as
ferrous metal to nonferrous metal, cast metal to
wrought metal, metals with widely different
melting points, or even metal to ceramic.
2. Since less heating is required than for welding,
the process can be performed quickly and
economically.
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Brazing Advantages
3. The lower temperatures reduce problems
associated with heat-affected zones (or other
material property alteration), warping, and
distortion. Thinner and more com-plex
assemblies can be joined successfully. Thin
sections can be joined to thick. Metal as thin as
0.01 mm and as thick as 150 mm can be brazed.
4. Assembly tolerances are closer than for most
welding processes, and joint appearance is
usually quite neat.
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Brazing Advantages
5. Brazing is highly adaptable to automation and
performs well when mass-producing complex or
delicate assemblies. Complex products can also
be brazed in several steps using filler metals
with progressively lower melting temperatures.
6. A strong permanent joint is formed.

Brazing Disadvantages
Joint strength is generally less than that of a
welded joint;
Although strength of a good brazed joint is
greater than that of the filler metal, it is likely to
be less than that of the base metals;
High service temperatures may weaken a brazed
joint; and
The colour of the metal in the brazed joint may
not match the colour of the base metal parts, a
possible aesthetic disadvantage.
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Brazing Applications

Brazing as a production process is widely used in a

variety of industries, including

automotive (e.g., joining tubes and pipes),

electrical equipment (e.g., joining wires andcables),
cutting tools (e.g., brazing cemented carbide inserts to
shanks), and
Jewelry making.

In addition, the chemical processing industry and

plumbing and heating contractors join metal pipes
and tubes by brazing.
The process is used extensively for repair and
maintenance work in nearly all industries
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Brazing

Successful brazing or soldering requires that the

parts have relatively good fit-up (i.e., small joint
clearances) to promote capillary flow of the filler
metal.
The parts must be thoroughly cleaned prior to
joining, and many parts will require flux removal
after joining.
It is also important to remember that any
subsequent heating of the assembly can cause
inadvertent melting of the braze metal, thereby
weakening or destroying the joint.
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Brazing vs Corrosion
Another concern with brazed joints is their
enhanced susceptibility to corrosion.
Since the filler metal is of different composition
from the materials being joined, the brazed
joint is actually a localized galvanic corrosion
cell.
Corrosion problems can often be minimized,
however, by proper selection of the filler metal.
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Desirable characteristics of Brazing

FILLER METALS
Melting temperature must be compatible with
the base metal; ie can be any metal that melts
between 450C (840F) and the melting point of
the material being joined.
Surface tension in the liquid phase must be low
for good wettability,
Fluidity of the molten metal must be high for
penetration into the interface,
Chemical and physical interactions with base
metal (e.g., galvanic reaction) must be avoided.
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Brazing FILLER METALS

The most commonly used brazing metals are
copper and copper alloys, silver and silver
alloys, and aluminum alloys.

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Brazing FILLER METALS

Filler metals are applied to the brazing
operation in various ways, including wire, rod,
sheets and strips, powders, pastes, etc.
Several of these techniques are illustrated in fig

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Brazing FILLER METALS

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Brazing FILLER METALS

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Brazing Method
There are various methods used in brazing.
Referred to as brazing processes, they are
differentiated by their heating sources.
Torch Brazing:- In torch brazing, flux is applied to
the part surfaces and a torch is used to direct a
flame against the work in the vicinity of the joint.
Furnace Brazing:- Furnace brazing uses a furnace
to supply heat for brazing and is best suited to
medium and high production .
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Brazing Method
Induction Brazing:- Induction brazing utilizes heat
from electrical resistance to a high-frequency
current induced in the work.
Resistance Brazing:- Heat to melt the filler metal in
this process is obtained by resistance to flow of
electrical current through the parts.
Dip Brazing:- In dip brazing, either a molten salt
bath or a molten metal bath accomplishes heating.
Infrared Brazing:- This method uses heat from a
high-intensity infrared lamp.
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Brazing Fluxes
Brazing fluxes serve a similar purpose as in welding;
they dissolve, combine with, and otherwise inhibit
the formation of oxides and other unwanted by
products in the brazing process.
Characteristics of a good flux include
(1) low melting temperature,
(2) low viscosity so that it can be displaced by the filler
metal,
(3) facilitates wetting, and
(4) protects the joint until solidification of the filler metal.
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Brazing Fluxes
Common ingredients for brazing fluxes include
borax, borates, fluorides, and chlorides.

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SOLDERING
Soldering is a brazing-type operation where the filler
metal has a melting temperature (or liquidus
temperature if the alloy has a freezing range) below
450C.
It is typically used for joining thin metals, connecting
electronic components, joining metals while
avoiding exposure to high elevated temperatures,
and filling surface flaws and defects.
Details of soldering are similar to those of brazing,
and many of the heating methods are the same.
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SOLDERING
Surfaces to be soldered must be precleaned so
they are free of oxides, oils, and so on.
An appropriate flux must be applied to the faying
surfaces, and the surfaces are heated.
Filler metal, called solder, is added to the joint,
which distributes itself between the closely
fitting parts.

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SOLDERING
As an industrial process, soldering is most closely
associated with electronics assembly.
It is also used for mechanical joints, but not for
joints subjected to elevated stresses or
temperatures.

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ADVANTAGES
Advantages attributed to soldering include
(1) low energy input relative to brazing and fusion
welding,
(2) variety of heating methods available,
(3) good electrical and thermal conductivity in the
joint,
(4) capability to make air-tight and liquid-tight seams
for containers, and
(5) easy to repair and rework.
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DISADVANTAGES
The biggest disadvantages of soldering are
(1) low joint strength unless reinforced by
mechanically means and
(2) possible weakening or melting of the joint in
elevated temperature service.

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ELECTRONICS APPLICATIONS
For electronics applications, the principal function of
the soldered joint is to provide an electrically
conductive path between two parts being joined.
Other design considerations in these types of
soldered joints include heat generation (from the
electrical resistance of the joint) and vibration.
Mechanical strength in a soldered electrical
connection is often achieved by deforming one or
both of the metal parts to accomplish a mechanical
joint between them, or by making the surface area
larger to provide maximum support by the solder.
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ELECTRONICS APPLICATIONS
For electronics applications, the principal function of
the soldered joint is to provide an electrically
conductive path between two parts being joined.
Other design considerations in these types of
soldered joints include heat generation (from the
electrical resistance of the joint) and vibration.
Mechanical strength in a soldered electrical
connection is often achieved by deforming one or
both of the metal parts to accomplish a mechanical
joint between them, or by making the surface area
larger to provide maximum support by the solder.
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Soldering Fluxes
Soldering Fluxes Soldering fluxes should do the
following:
(1) be molten at soldering temperatures,
(2) remove oxide films and tarnish from the base part
surfaces,
(3) prevent oxidation during heating,
(4) promote wetting of the faying surfaces,
(5) be readily displaced by the molten solder during
the process, and
(6) leave a residue that is noncorrosive and
nonconductive
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JOINT DESIGNS IN SOLDERING

(a) Flat lock seam; (b) bolted or riveted joint; (c) copper pipe fittingslap
cylindrical joint; and (d) crimping (forming) of cylindrical lap joint.

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ELECTRONICS APPLICATIONS

(a) crimped lead wire on printed circuit board (PCB); (b) plated through hole on
PCB to maximize solder contact surface; (c) hooked wire on flat terminal; and
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(d) twisted wires.

SOLDERING METHODS
Many of the methods used in soldering are the
same as those used in brazing, except that less
heat and lower temperatures are required for
soldering.
Hand Soldering is performed manually using a
hot soldering iron. Iron soldering utilizes a heat
generated by a soldering iron.
Wave soldering is a mechanized technique that
allows multiple lead wires to be soldered to a
printed circuit board (PCB) as it passes over a
wave of molten solder.
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SOLDERING METHODS
Reflow Soldering This process is also widely used
in electronics to assemble surface mount
components to printed circuit boards. In this
method a solder paste (a mix of solder and flux
particles) is applied onto the surface of the parts
to be joined and then are heated to a
temperature above the melting point of the
solder.

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COMMONLY USED SOLDERING ALLOY

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