Soldering terminology

A method for joining two metal parts using a solder of a metal or an alloy with a lower melting point than the base materials, in which the solder is melted between the metal components to be joined and forms a thin alloy layer on their surface that contributes to the reinforcement of the compound. In general, soldering at a temperature below 450 °C is known as soft soldering while at higher temperatures it is referred to as hard soldering. If the alloy layer becomes too thick, the joint can become detached easily; for this reason, overheating or too lengthy soldering must be avoided. Since soldering is only possible through the exchange of metals on the atomic level, material surfaces must be clean and metallic. Soldering is associated with the manufacturing process and it is often discussed in this context. Soft and hard soldering are different joining techniques that have different names in different languages (see table).