ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses five methods by which parts may be joined: mechanical fasteners such as screws, bolts, nuts, rivets; soldering, brazing, welding and adhesive bonding. Soft soldering is a process of joining metal parts by heating and running a low-melting-point alloy between the two surfaces being joined. When cooling takes place, the alloy solidifies, resulting in a secure joint. Silver brazing alloys have excellent brazing properties and are the most widely used for joining most ferrous and non-ferrous materials with the exception of those based on aluminium, zinc and magnesium. Electron beam welding (EBW) is a fusion welding process in which the joint to be welded is bombarded with a finely focused beam of high-velocity electrons. Adhesive bonding is the modern term for gluing, and the technique is used to join metals to themselves and also a wide variety of metallic and non-metallic materials including thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics, metal, glass, ceramics, rubber, concrete and brick.
