Soldering

Soldering is a method of appling a lower melting point material to join other materials. Common solders are lead/tin mixtures (40:60) that have a melting point around 400F. They can be heated in a number of ways, including bulk liquification, or by using a point source such as an electric soldering iron or brazing torch.

The dominant use of this process is for making a sound electrical joint between certain metals for use in electrical and electronic equipment.

Soldering is distinct from welding in that the materials to be joined are not melted. The lower melting point solder can be melted away leaving the original materials intact.