Brazing For Complex Geometries: Tips from the Experts at Elcon Precision

Flawless and durable bonds are vital to the performance of components used in high-stakes applications, and expert engineering and brazing companies like Elcon Precision are needed to produce parts for use in the aerospace, medical, and defense industries.

We approach complex brazing operations with the same fundamental goal of bonding materials through innovative and consistent practices so the pieces hold up as if they were created from a single piece of material, structurally and functionally.

Precision is in our name at Elcon, and we continue to set the standard when it comes to our brazing services. Industry leaders from across the world rely on our expertise when they are fabricating extremely complex parts used in applications where failure is not an option.

Whether a piece of equipment is used in the aerospace industry, in medical devices, or within electronics, our parts must work together mechanically and electrically and function as one single unit with unwavering repeatability and consistent performance.

As the world of innovation and technology evolves and expands what is possible, we rise to the challenge and fabricate the most efficient and high-performing parts available. Here are just some of the areas within aerospace, defense, space, medical, and electronics where Elcon’s precise brazing techniques play a crucial role:

• Aerospace: Relay and optical components, actuators, infrared sensors, and radar jamming devices
• Defense: Coaxial switches and relays, missile guidance systems, and rocket launch systems
• Space: High-power vacuum coaxial relays for command destruct systems, satellite components, and RF and X-ray shields
  

Vacuum Coaxial Relay for launch interrupt safety systems.

 

Medical Devices:

• Equipment: Electron guns for CT and MRI machines and brain wave sensors.

Electronics:

• Vacuum Electronics: Reliable connections in electronic devices.

 

 

Precision is Paramount as the Complexity of High-Stakes Applications Rise

High-precision brazing combines materials into functional designs, enhancing durability and reliability.

In space applications, components may relay data from satellites or propel vehicles into orbit, demanding flawless performance under extreme conditions.

In medicine, brazed parts power imaging and testing devices, where precision is critical for patient safety and positive outcomes, meeting rigorous manufacturing and certification standards.

The manufacturers of essential components know that they can rely on Elcon to take dissimilar materials with a broad spectrum of properties and complex geometries and join them with extreme precision. We’ve assembled a team of highly skilled individuals who exercise innovative techniques that have greatly reduced the chance of failure and leverage the expertise of 50-plus years of manufacturing experience.

The Elcon team works hand in hand with innovators and engineers to push the boundaries of what is possible. We thrive when presented with new challenges throughout the design process, constantly figuring out how components will perform under various stresses such as thermal expansion.

The evolution of industry demands in the defense and commercial sectors means it’s more important than ever to create more efficient, high-performing systems. In turn, Elcon is required to develop specialized techniques to meet the moment. 

 

Our proprietary metallization and brazing process and commitment to rigorous quality standards enable our team to create flawless bonds for even the most demanding applications. We can answer nearly any challenge, whether an assembly  requires metal-to-metal or ceramic-to-metal bonding  or if the specifications call for vacuum brazing or hydrogen brazing. Our team performs the correct metal joining process that withstands high stresses by producing the highest quality joints.

 

The Role of Brazed Assemblies in Key Aerospace Components

The Factors and Techniques to Consider during the Brazing Process

Elcon’s experts understand the demands placed on industry leaders who are charged with creating the most efficient systems that must perform in the most demanding environments. We can help select the right brazing alloys and materials based on the application’s demands. 

Consider these tips:

Factors to Consider:

1. Base Materials: Choose a brazing alloy that is compatible with the base metals you are joining. For example, use silver-based alloys for copper and brass and nickel-based alloys for stainless steel or high-temperature applications.
2. Joint Interface: Consider the shape and size of the joint. For tight or deep joints, use alloys that have good flow characteristics and can fill the joint completely.
3. Operating Environment: Select an alloy that can withstand operating conditions, such as temperature, pressure, and exposure to corrosive elements.
4. High Temperatures: Match the thermal expansion coefficients of the base metals and the brazing alloy to minimize stress and prevent cracking.
5. Mechanical Properties: Choose an alloy that provides the desired strength and ductility for the application.

Common Brazing Alloys:

• Silver-Based Alloys: Excellent for joining copper, brass, and other non-ferrous metals.
• Nickel-Based Alloys: Ideal for high-temperature applications and joining stainless steel.
• Copper-Based Alloys: Good for general-purpose brazing and joining dissimilar metals.
• Gold-Based Alloys: Used for high-precision applications requiring strong, corrosion-resistant joints.

Tips for Specific Applications:

• Thin Materials: Use low-temperature alloys to prevent warping or damage.
• High-Temperature Environments: Design for high-temperature-resistant alloys like Inconel or Hastelloy.
• Vacuum Seals: Use alloys that do not outgas or degrade in a vacuum environment.

By carefully considering these factors, you can select the most appropriate brazing materials for your specific application, ensuring strong and durable joints. Once you've established what materials will be the best option, how those materials are joined becomes the next challenge.

Camco Furnace Equipment

 

Elcon Precision’s Proprietary Brazing Process and Quality Standards Provide Reliable Products and Assemblies. 

Joint Design and Fit-Up

• Depending on the material type and part geometry, our experienced team of engineers will select the appropriate brazing fixtures,  and process best suited to your specific application. Our engineers will provide design feedback for manufacturability on joint design and production feasibility. 
• With our in-house CNC machining capabilities, we have the ability to ensure that we create the optimal joint interface by producing clean surfaces with the proper clearance for our filler metal.
• By designing and building our own fixtures, we can adjust and fine-tune each project as needed. This allows us to quickly pivot based on each individual client's needs, as well as reduce the time it takes for us to get their project completed.

Temperature Control and Heating Methods

• To maintain a quality brazing process with the materials we are working with, we offer  TIG and Laser welding operations, along with both vacuum brazing and furnace brazing.
• Brazing temperature range: 300°C to 1200°C
• Advanced Camco Furnaces

Post-Brazing Inspection and Quality Assurance

• Depending on the brazing process, we have multiple testing capabilities to ensure each assembly is guaranteed to perform, which include but are not limited to:
  • Helium Leak Performance
  • Vacuum Leak Testing
  • 160 KV X-ray Inspection
• We pride ourselves on maintaining quality assurance measures. With state-of-the-art inspection tools and extensive qualification tests, we verify the integrity and durability of our brazed assemblies. We strictly adhere to both AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certifications, maintaining the highest standards through every phase of our operations.

 

How Elcon Precision Provides Solutions with Ceramic Metallization 

Our ceramic metallization process uses proprietary thick film molybdenum/manganese and molybdenum/manganese/tungsten paints as the base layer on a ceramic substrate. This unique formulation, developed and produced entirely in-house, enables a hermetic ceramic-to-metal bond in a brazed assembly.

Benefits of Ceramic Metallization in Brazing:

1. Improved Wetting: The metal layer helps the brazing filler metal to wet the ceramic surface better, leading to stronger and more reliable joints.
2. Reduced Oxidation: The metal coating prevents oxidation of the ceramic surface during brazing, ensuring a cleaner and more effective bond.
3. Thermal Stress Management: By acting as a buffer, the metal layer helps to manage the differences in thermal expansion between the ceramic and metal, reducing the risk of joint cracking.
4. Enhanced Mechanical Properties: The metal layer can help in forming a more robust joint by minimizing the formation of brittle compounds at the interface.

To prevent oxidation and to improve wettability after the metallization paint is sintered into the ceramic at high temperature, it is plated using either electroless or electrolytic plating or nickel oxide paint. 

Metallization and nickel thickness are measured using XRF technology to ensure desired thickness specifications are met. By improving the bond strength and reliability, ceramic metallization plays a vital role in enhancing the outcomes of brazing processes.

Process:

1. Application of Metal Layer: The ceramic is coated with a metal layer using techniques like electroless plating, electrolytic plating, or screen-printing.
2. Brazing: The metalized ceramic is then brazed to the metal using appropriate brazing filler metals, such as copper, nickel, silver-copper, or gold-copper alloys.

Applications:

• Vacuum Seals: In vacuum electronic devices, creating a hermetic seal is crucial.
• High-Temperature Environments: Components that need to withstand extreme temperatures, such as sapphire lenses or rocket igniter bodies.

 

Beryllium oxide brazed assembly

 

Ready to Tackle the Next Challenge?

 Brazing processes, including brazing ceramics, demand rigorous quality standards, from uniform temperatures used in furnace brazing to precision in welding joints that can handle mechanical stresses in any environment.

It is essential to find a trustworthy partner the next time you're tasked with designing an intricate assembly that requires brazing work, whether it be non-metallic materials, combining other metals with ceramic brazing, multiple joints with extremely tight tolerances, or you simply just need a reliable and repeatable process. 

Elcon Precision is ready to lend our expertise and help you navigate the challenges you’re sure to face. Request a quote from our team of experts today and we’ll be in touch shortly.