What is dip braizing?
To braze is to join two or more pieces of metal by means of flowing a filler material between the joint interfaces. The filler metal, upon cooling, to the solid state, forms a strong metallic bond throughout the joined area.
All parts are chemically cleaned and then assembled with the filler material positioned onto the relevant joints. The assembly is then preheated in an air furnace to bring the assembly to a uniform temperature before it is immersed in a molten salt bath. The salts within the bath act as a flux, and as the assembly is dipped the molten flux comes into contact with all internal and external surfaces simultaneously allowing a strong, continuous and uniform joint to be formed. The time of immersion is determined by the mass to be heated.
Designing for dip brazing
If you have had no experience in designing for Dip Brazing or have any doubts, please consult with us before proceeding. Although we do not offer a design service, we are able to offer advice/guidance to assist you in the design of your product.
Avoid fixtures if possible and try to design parts to be self-jigging. Spot welding, TIG welding and pinning often serve as good substitutes for self-jigging designs. Fixtures can be used, but their design is of critical importance. Please contact us directly for advice and guidance on fixture design if this is something you require.
Design brazed assemblies for lap joints for best results.
Aluminium salt bath dip brazing
Our current team of experts introduced Aluminium Salt Bath Brazing (Dip Brazing) to the area in the mid 1980's. We have over thirty years of experience in producing your products to the highest level achievable. During 2017 we invested in the latest technology and replaced 95% of our manufacturing plant.
We have been producing top quality products for the electronics industry, chassis manufacturers and precision engineers producing components used extensively within the Aerospace, Telecommunication, Medical, Motor-sport and Defense industries.
Capabilities
Our current team of experts introduced Aluminium Salt Bath Brazing (Dip Brazing) to the area in the mid 1980's. We have over thirty years of experience in producing your products to the highest level achievable. During 2017 we invested in the latest technology and replaced 95% of our manufacturing plant.
We have been producing top-quality products for the electronics industry, chassis manufacturers and precision engineers producing components used extensively within the Aerospace, Telecommunication, Medical, Motor-sport and Defense industries.
The sole focus of DPS is on the Dip Braze process meaning that not only are we able to offer a quality service at a competitive cost, but we can tackle complex assemblies with a fast and efficient turnaround. Our response and delivery time are unique in our field, and we pride ourselves on our commitment to customer service and satisfaction.
As well as offering a comprehensive dip braze service, including free issue dip braze work, DPS is also able to offer other manufacturing processes such as fine limit sheet metal work and CNC machining, sourced both in-house and at approved suppliers. Our joint operation with DPE brings with it access to their facilities and together we can offer a world-class, quality, reliable end-to-end supply partnership.
Advantages of dip brazing:
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Cost-effective – low tooling cost
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Lightweight
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Strength - The braze joint itself will exhibit strength equal to the base metal
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Large, complex assemblies can be brazed with minimal distortion
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Strong leak-proof joints
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Versatile – the process can be applied to any number of different product types, in different markets and industries
Supporting processes
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R&D and design support
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Welding
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Iridite
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Leak testing
Products
HEALTH
Components for CT scanners and Vascular systems: X-Ray Tube Housings
X-ray tube housings provide radiation shielding, mechanical support and protection as well as a cooling oil hermeticcontainment for the imaging systems X-ray tube insert.
Delfield is supplying the major global medical imaging players with this critical component.
Delfield produces these housings both from castings and as ‘in-house’ fabricated aluminium dip brazed assemblies.
Housings are lead-lined and painted 'in-house'.
Leak checking is performed 'in-house' by water immersion or Helium mass spectometer detection methods. We are a one stop shop from protype to production line implmenentation.
Calibration phantoms for Nuclear Medicine (Gamma cameras)
Phantoms are used to calibrate the imaging devices and to simulate your imaging.
Phantoms are manufactured in BAR, NEMA, LINEAR and FLOOD formats.
BAR Phantoms are utilized for the determination of the resolution of Gamma cameras. Four-quadrant phantom offers a precise determination of camera intrinsic resolution, collimator spatial resolution, field size and linearity.
Slot/hole patterns are cast into a lead top layer bonded by an aluminium or plastic substrate.
Slot/ hole patterns are produced in a lead top layer bonded to an aluminium or polycarbonate substrate.
The Phantoms can be supplied with a fabricated stand or as a kit with a shipping case.
Calibration certificates are available.
Collimators for Nuclear Medicine (Gamma cameras)
Another range of Nuclear Medicine components that utilize CNC machined lead is collimators.
A gamma camera collimator is designed to restrict the rays from the radioactive source reaching the camera detector so that each point in the image corresponds to a unique point in the patient's anatomy.
Collimators are composed of thousands of channels formed by folding and assembling lead foils. Only the gamma-ray photons emitted by the radioactive source that travel directly along the channel can reach the detector, while the other photons are absorbed by the collimator channel walls.
Nuclear Imaging: Gamma Ray Detector Casings and Radiotope Source Holders
Delfield manufactures Gamma camera detector casings.
The lead casings are given structural strength by having the lead cast around a steel insert. Additional strength may be gained by an externally mounted steel or aluminium 'jacket'.
Delfield also designs and manufactures the moulds and inserts for these castings. Point sources stored and handled in ad-hoc holders - are utilized to determine the limit of the camera/collimator spatial resolution.
They are based at variable distances closer and closer together along a ruler until the two imaged points can no longer be distinguished as distinct separate sources.
DEFENCE
Waveguide components
The complex geometries of waveguide components demand high levels of precision in the manufacturing process. Delfield produces complex waveguide components leveraging its ‘in-house’ aluminium dip brazing, CNC machining and inspection capabilities.
AUTOMOTIVE
Impellers
Manufacturing impellers utilising the dip brazing technology comes with the advantages of low thermal stress and deformations avoidance. Dip brazing also gives more design freedom and cost competitiveness thanks to the complexity of the shapes and solutions it can support.
Heat Exchangers
Delfield decade of experience in dip brazing in general and in particular in the manufacturing of leak-tight vessels gives it a particular edge when it comes to heat-exchangers production. Dip brazing plays a critical role to concurrently achieve the highest quality, cost efficiency and reliability.
BATTERY HOUSINGS
Sealed battery boxes
Sealed battery boxes are efficiently produced thanks to aluminium dip brazing. From medical instruments to electric vehicles, batteries are increasingly pervasive and their housings require electrical insulation, resistance to shock, vibration and chemicals.
WATER TREATMENT
Valves and accessories for water treatment plants
Valves for water treatment plants oftentimes come equipped with actuators and other instruments. Delfield’s precision CNC coupled with dip brazing capabilities is instrumental in producing valves complying with the demands and conditions of water treatment plants.
VARIOUS INDUSTRIES
Machined Components
Delfield offer an extensive CNC machining facility for the supply of precision components in both prototype and production batches.
Fabrications
Delfield manufactures components that require a combination of precision machining and metal fabrication techniques. Examples shown include sheet metal forming, spinning, laser cutting, brazing and welding.