Are you wondering, what does brazing mean in welding, or what is braze welding? You’ve found the right webpage. We will discuss, what is brazing called, and other topics, too!
Is there a difference between welding and brazing? Yes! While sometimes two different words may describe the same activity, with welding and brazing, there are important differences. Importantly, welding performs better in certain scenarios, while brazing may outperform in other scenarios. If you’re using either, you’ll want to first figure out which is best given your needs.
First, let’s discuss the similarities. Welding and brazing are both used to join metals and to fuse together joints. Both welding and brazing are common when working with joints, sheet metal and the like. That said, while similar, brazing and welding are both distinct processes and the nuances can have a big impact on their application.
With welding, you melt the base metal. So if you’re fusing two steel pipes together, some of the copper itself will be melted to create the fuse. Welding is one of the more straightforward ways to create strong joints and fusing metals together.
With brazing, the base metals are not melted. Instead, you use metals with a lower melting point, to fuse pipes together. Let’s say you wanted to fuse a copper and steel pipe together. You could use a filler material containing silver or tin that has a lower melting point than both copper and steel. This way, the filler material will melt but the copper and steel will not. When the filler material solidifies, it will hold the two pipes together.
There are some advantages and disadvantages to each method. Welding is generally stronger since the base metals are melted and fused together. However, brazing can provide a stronger bond in certain scenarios. Brazing also generally produces a stronger bond than soldering, another process similar to but distinct from welding.
Brazing also allows for more creativity since you can use different metals with different melting points as your filler material. This opens up more possibilities for custom work.
Brazing requires a filler material. Technically, welding doesn’t necessitate filler materials but in practice, they are often used to fill in gaps and ensure that there are no leaks. When no filler material is used, it’s called autogenous welding. Often, autogenous welding can offer better looks in some cases. It may lower costs, too, by eliminating expensive filler metals.
Which is better? Brazing, welding and soldering all offer their own strengths and also drawbacks. The best choice depends on your project, aims and other factors, including budget. It’s best to work with metallurgy experts who can explain the specifics of each method within the context of your project.
Ultimately, it comes down to what you’re trying to achieve. If you need a very strong bond or if you’re working with sensitive materials that can’t withstand high temperatures, then brazing may be the better option. If you need a strong bond quickly or are working with metals that have a low melting point, you may want to opt for welding.