Welding, Soldering and Bonding

Welding, Soldering and Bonding methods are used for creating permanent joints between materials in the aerospace industry, primarily at the production stage and to a more limited degree during maintenance and overhaul stages. Within the aircraft industry, welding is considered to be a specialist skill and only suitably approved and authorised personnel can undertake welding procedures.

Approved welders must satisfy the CAA of their competency, by submitting several ‘test pieces’ of their typical work for testing and they are subjected to similar re-tests every 12 months in order to retain their approvals.

However, maintenance technicians may be called upon to do some soldering and bonding procedures. Thus, only the basic methods of welding will be discussed in this topic, while greater emphasis is placed upon procedures involving soldering and bonding.