Welding and soldering are both methods of joining metal together, but they work in slightly different ways and are best suited to different applications.
Soldering
In soldering, a soft metal alloy called solder is melted and used as a glue to join two pieces of metal together. The best way of doing this is by cleaning the two pieces of metal that you wish to join together, then positioning them as you want them with the solder in between. At this point, you then use a soldering iron or gas torch to melt the solder and join the two pieces of metal together.
Welding
Welding uses extremely high temperatures to slightly melt the metals you want to join so that they adhere together as they re-solidify. Often, a filler material called a welding rod is used to make sure there is a sufficient quantity of melted metal to create a lasting bond. Welding rods create a stronger connection between the two pieces of metal than exists without it.
Which process is best for you?
Soldering tends to be used to join different metals together, for example, electrical components on printed circuit boards.
Welding is typically used in larger scale industrial manufacturing by companies such as //dkmsheetmetal.co.uk in processes such as sheet metal fabrication, automobile production and heavy machinery repairs.
In conclusion
While both welding and soldering are used to join metals together, welding is best suited to industrial purposes, such as sheet metal fabrication, while soldering is better for more delicate work.
