There are numerous ways to join two or more pieces of metal, three very popular ones are welding, steel brazing and soldering.
Welding:
For welding to be used both metals must be the same. Steel and steel can be welded together successfully but steel and copper for example cannot be. The welding process uses extreme heat to melt and join two similar materials together; in the majority of cases the process employs a filler metal as well. A good weld, one done by a skilled welder is as strong as the base metal, however, if the weld is poorly done, for example too much heat is applied, the joint will be weak and the properties of the base metal can change. There are several different types of welding including arc, MIG, TIG and laser.
Steel brazing:
Brazing is carried out by heating two metals and then melting a filler material which takes up the space through capillary action. For steel brazing to be successful the filler material must be such that it melts at a lower temperature than the base metal would. Whereas welding is only possible when both metals are the same, it is not a problem to join dissimilar metals using the brazing process. Flux is often used, flux is a material which aids in the flow of the filler material over the surfaces of the base metal; it also cleans the metal of any oxide, thus insuring a tight bond.
The joints that are the result of steel brazing can be stronger than the metals that are being joined. There is minimal distortion and no change in the mechanical properties of the base metal.
Soldering:
Conceptually, soldering is similar to brazing inasmuch as the procedure uses low temperatures. There are numerous metals that can be joined by soldering; they include copper, brass, iron and precious metals. The filler material, which is the solder, melts at a low temperature, when the joint is allowed to cool the solder sets up and the joint is made. A solder joint is not as strong as either a welded joint or a joint formed by steel brazing.
There are many Steel Brazing Companies in the market today. Hi-Temp Brazing started to torch braze in 1974 to offer services for clients. There are three commonly used forms of brazing; manual, machine, and automatic.
