What is an advantage of brazing over welding?

Brazing offers the distinct advantage of being able to join dissimilar metals effectively. This is crucial in many applications where different materials must be combined to achieve desired properties, such as conductivity or thermal resistance. The brazing process involves a filler metal that has a lower melting point than that of the base metals being joined. This allows for the creation of a strong bond while minimizing thermal stress, which is particularly beneficial when dealing with materials that have different thermal expansion rates.

In contrast, welding generally involves melting the base metals together, which may not be compatible with different metal types due to the potential for issues like brittleness or phase changes during the cooling process. As a result, brazing is often the preferred method when the goal is to create joints between materials that cannot be welded together. This characteristic makes brazing exceptionally valuable in fields such as electronics and aerospace, where precision and the ability to work with a variety of metals are essential.