Polymeric materials that possess similar solubility parameters can be joined using a variety of polymer joining techniques. This article describes commonly available fusion-welding techniques such as joining methods, key joining parameters, and the application areas of each joining method. The techniques are hot-tool, hot-gas, extrusion, focused infrared, laser, friction, vibration, spin, ultrasonic, and electromagnetic welding techniques (resistance, induction, dielectric, and microwave welding). The article concludes with a discussion on welding evaluation methods.

This article discusses the classification of the attachment and joining methods in plastics, including mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, solvent bonding, and welding. It describes the mechanical fastening techniques used to join both similar and dissimilar materials with machine screws or bolts, nuts and washers, molded-in threads, self-threading screws, rivets, spring-steel fasteners, press fits, and snap fits. The article explains solvent bonding used for thermoplastic parts, and tabulates the solvent types used with various plastics. It also describes the surface preparation of plastics, chemical treatment for adhesion, and tabulates the adhesive types for bonding plastics to plastics and plastics to nonplastics. The article briefly describes the welding processes of thermoplastics, including fusion welding (hot-tool, hot gas, extrusion, and focused infrared), friction welding (vibration, spin, and ultrasonic), and electromagnetic welding (resistance, induction, dielectric, and microwave). It concludes with the evaluation of welds using destructive and nondestructive testing.

Cold pressure welding can be accomplished by deforming in a lap or butt configuration, drawing, extrusion, and rolling. This article provides a discussion on cold pressure lap welding, cold pressure butt welding and cold pressure welding in drawing process with illustrations. It provides information on the combinations of metals that can be successfully cold welded.

The structural efficiency of a composite structure is established by its joints and assembly. Adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, and fusion bonding are three types of joining methods for polymer-matrix composites. This article provides information on surface treatment and the applications of adhesive bonding. It discusses the types of adhesives, namely, epoxy adhesives, epoxy-phenolic adhesives, condensation-reaction PI adhesives, addition-reaction PI adhesives, bismaleimide adhesives, and structural adhesives. The article provides information on fastener selection considerations, including corrosion compatibility, fastener materials and strength, head configurations, importance of clamp-up, interference fit fasteners, lightning strike protection, blind fastening, and sensitivity to hole quality. Types of fusion bonding are presented, namely, thermal welding, friction welding, electromagnetic welding, and polymer-coated material welding.

This article tabulates the nominal compositions for nickel and cobalt alloys. It illustrates the comparison of strain-hardening rates of a number of alloys in terms of the increase in hardness with increasing cold reduction. The forming practice for age-hardenable alloys and the lubricants used in the forming processes of nickel and cobalt alloys are also discussed. The article summarizes the modification of tools and dies used for cold forming other metals, as the physical and mechanical properties of nickel and cobalt alloys frequently necessitate it. It discusses forming techniques for these alloys and provides several examples of these techniques, which include shearing, blanking, piercing, deep drawing, spinning, explosive forming, bending, and expanding/tube forming.

This article discusses the mechanics, surface preparation and principles of metal forming operations such as drawing, bending (draw bending, compression bending, roll bending, and stretch bending), spinning, and straightening of bars, tubes, wires, rods and structural shapes. The article also discusses the machines and tools, including dies and mandrels, and lubricants used for these metal forming operations.

This article discusses the general formability considerations of aluminum alloys. To conduct a complete analysis of a formed part, the required mechanical properties, as determined by several standard tests, must be considered. The article describes tension testing and other tests designed to simulate various production forming processes, including cup tests and bend tests, which help in determining these properties. It provides information on the equipment and tools, which are used in the forming of aluminum alloys. The article presents a list of lubricants that are most widely used in the forming. It also analyzes the various forming processes of aluminum alloys. The processes include blanking and piercing, bending, press-brake forming, contour roll forming, deep drawing, spinning, stretch forming, rubber-pad forming, warm forming, superplastic forming, explosive forming, electrohydraulic forming, electromagnetic forming, hydraulic forming, shot peening, and drop hammer forming.

This article describes the applications, advantages, and disadvantages of three centrifugal casting processes as well as the equipment used. These processes are true centrifugal casting, semicentrifugal casting, and centrifuge mold casting. The article discusses the cooling, inoculation, fluxing, and extraction of castings. It reviews mold heating and coating techniques as well as the various molds used. The three most common defects observed in centrifugal castings are also discussed. The article concludes with information on the applications of centrifugal casting in investment casting and combustion synthesis as well as spin casting.

This article discusses the selection of types of stainless steel for various methods of forming based on the formability and on the power required for forming. It reviews the requirements of lubrication, blanking, and piercing. The article describes various forming methods, namely, press-brake forming, press forming, multiple-slide forming, deep drawing, spinning, rubber-pad forming, drop hammer forming¸ three-roll forming, contour roll forming, stretch forming, and bending of tubing.

This article describes the effect of temperature, composition, strain rate, and fabrication history on the results obtained in the forming of beryllium as well as the safety measures required. It provides information on the equipment, tooling, dies, and workpieces used for forming beryllium. The article discusses the role of lubrication, blank development, tool designs, and strain rates, in deep drawing. It also provides information on the tooling and applications of three-roll bending, stretch forming, and spinning.

Flame hardening is a heat treating process in which a thin surface shell of a steel part is heated rapidly to a temperature above the critical temperatures of the steel. The versatility of flame-hardening equipment and the wide range of heating conditions obtainable with gas burners, often permit flame hardening to be done by a variety of methods. These include the spot or stationary method, progressive method, spinning method, and the combination progressive-spinning method. This article provides information on fuel gases used in flame hardening and their selection criteria for specific applications. It also discusses operating procedures and control requirements for flame hardening of steel.

This datasheet provides information on composition limits, fabrication characteristics, processing effects on physical and mechanical properties, and applications of aluminum alloy 7039.

In terms of forming, magnesium alloys are much more workable at elevated temperatures due to their hexagonal crystal structures. This article describes the deformation mechanisms of magnesium and provides information on the hot and cold forming processes of magnesium alloys and the lubricants used in the processes. It discusses the various forming processes of magnesium alloys. These include press-brake forming, deep drawing, manual and power spinning, rubber-pad forming, stretch forming, drop hammer forming, and precision forging.

This article discusses the fundamentals and applications of localized heat treating methods: induction hardening and tempering, laser surface transformation hardening, and electron-beam heat treatment. The article provides information about equipment and describes the selection of frequency, power, duration of heating, and coil design for induction hardening. The article also discusses the scope, application, methods, and operation of flame hardening.

Babbitting is a process by which relatively soft metals are bonded chemically or mechanically to a stronger shell or stiffener which supports the weight and torsion of a rotating, oscillating, or sliding shaft. This article focuses on workpiece preparation and babbitting methods. Prior to casting, the workpiece must be scrupulously prepared by various cleaning, fluxing, and tinning steps. Babbitting of bearing shells can be accomplished by three methods, namely, static babbitting, centrifugal casting, and metal spray babbitting.