U N I T 1 JOINING PROCESSES This Unit deals with the main features and applications of the most widely used joining methods: welding, soldering and brazing. It also gives information on joining plastics and adhesive bonding. A. WELDING 1 Put these paragraphs in the right order to form a short passage about joining. a. It goes without saying that the product cannot be manufactured as a single piece: a cooking pot with a handle, for example, is easier and more economical to manufacture as individual components, which are then assembled. b. Finally, transporting the product as individual components and Man at welding assembling them at home or at the customer s plant may be easier and less costly. Some bicycles and toys, most machine tools, and mechanical or hydraulic presses are assembled after the components have been transported to the appropriate site. c. Joining is an all-inclusive term which covers processes such as welding, brazing, soldering, adhesive bonding and mechanical joining. These processes are a fundamental aspect of manufacturing operations for a variety of reasons. d. Besides, products such as automobile engines, hair driers and soldered-joint electronic devices may have to be taken apart for repair and maintenance. Sometimes different properties may be desirable for functional purposes: surfaces subjected to friction and wear, or corrosion and environmental attack, generally require characteristics different from those of the bulk of the components. (Adapted from Manufacturing processes for engineering materials, Serope Kalpakjian, Addison-Wesley Publishing) 146