The Art and Science of Vacuum Brazing Aluminum
Vacuum Brazing Aluminum is a specialized process that has revolutionized the way we join aluminum components. This method is particularly beneficial for designs that cannot tolerate the stress and distortion of welding or requires a joint configuration welding is incapable of achieving.Get more news about
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The process of Vacuum Brazing Aluminum is considered fluxless brazing because flux is not used to remove oxides. Instead, vacuum pumps evacuate the furnace, thereby reducing the PPM oxygen level in the brazing chamber thus inhibiting oxide formation. This results in cleaner assemblies, meeting the most demanding braze-joint integrity requirements.
One of the key aspects of Vacuum Brazing Aluminum is the use of magnesium as a getter. This enhances the purity of the braze environment and facilitates oxide removal. The process does not melt the parent metal of the joint, allowing for more precise control of tolerances. This makes it a reliable means of manufacturing devices such as critical microchannel devices, cold plates, cold walls, radiators, microwave antennas, and waveguides.
The industry utilization of Vacuum Brazing Aluminum ranges from semiconductor to aerospace and beyond. It is well suited for parts with thin cross sections as well as thick cross sections. Components with joints located below the surface or with restricted access and assemblies with a large number of joints can be successfully brazed in vacuum.
Vacuum Brazing Aluminum offers several advantages over other processes. It provides a clean joint without the need for additional finishing and cleaning. It minimizes part distortion because the complete assembly is uniformly heated and cooled compared to localized joining processes. Assemblies with large surface areas and numerous joints can be successfully brazed in vacuum. It offers highly repeatable results because critical furnace parameters are controlled with every load.
Commonly, Vacuum Aluminum Brazing furnaces are single-chamber batch type and are usually loaded horizontally but can be vertical loading type. Horizontal furnaces tend to be simpler in design, less expensive, and easier to maintain. The VAB cycle is typically relatively short due to the pumping and heating characteristics of the furnace, excellent temperature uniformity, and high thermal conductivity of the aluminum assemblies being brazed.
In conclusion, Vacuum Brazing Aluminum is a go-to process for joining aluminum components that cannot tolerate the risk of flux or salt bath corrosion inherent to other brazing methods. It is an ideal solution for vacuum aluminum brazing, eliminating the requirement for flux, which is not required to create joints with an alloy addition in brazed details, or in solid form in the furnace.
