Brazing VS Soldering: Which process can give you the better bond?

Brazing and soldering are both methods used to fuse two pieces of metal together.
They both share the same unique aspect. Both these processes can be used to join
two metal parts without melting the base metal. Instead we use a filler material for
the joining process.
How brazing works?
The brazing process is actually not that complicated. At first the metal parts is
cleaned so that no grease, paint, or oils remain on the surface. This is done by
using fine sand paper or steel wool. After that they are placed up against each
other. Some clearance is provided to aid capillary action of the filler material.
A flux material is generally used to prevent oxidation during heating. It also helps
the molten filler alloy wet the metals to be joined properly. It is applied in a paste
form on the joints to be brazed. The flux material for brazing is generally borax.
After that the filler material in the form of brazing rod is placed in the joint to be
brazed. The rod is melted by applying high amount of heat to it. Once melted they
flow into the sections to be joined due to capillary action. After they melt properly
and are solidified the process is done.
How soldering works?
The soldering process is not that much different to the brazing process. Here too, a
source of heat is used to apply heat to the base metals to be joined. Also like the
brazing process the parts to be joined or the base metals do not melt. A filler metal
melts and caused the joint.
The source of heat used here is called the soldering iron. This applies the correct
amount of heat to the base metals, filler, and the flux. Two kinds of flux material is
used in this process. Organic and inorganic. Organic fluxes do not have any
corrosive effects. So they care used in more delicate cases such as circuits.
Should you braze of solder?
Before deciding on which process to use there are a few things you should keep in
mind.
Probable point of failure
Typically in solder joints the filler material is much weaker than the base metals.
So if the soldered part is highly stressed during service then the point of failure will
most likely be the soldered joint.
On the other hand a well brazed joint will never fail due to the weakness of the
filler material. The main reason brazed joints fail is due to the metallurgical
alloying that occurs at very high temperatures. So failure mainly occurs at the base
metal outside of the joint itself.
So you should analyze where the part you joined will be most stressed. After that
you can pick the process that minimizes the chances of failure.
Fatigue resistance
A joint made by the brazing process can withstand constant stress and fatigue due
to thermal cycling or mechanical shock. The same can’t be said however for a
soldered joint. It is prone to failure when exposed to such fatigue. So you should
take into account what kind of conditions your joint may have to endure.
Requirement of the job
If your indented purpose for the joined part requires it to handle a lot of stress
brazing is the right way to go. It is commonly used in projects such as automotive
parts, jet engines, HAVC projects etc.
But soldering also has some unique properties that are quite sought after. Its low
processing temperature makes it ideal for use with electronic components. In such
components handling large amounts of stress is not the main concern.
So before deciding on which process to use you might want to consider which
properties are desirable in your particular use case. Based on that you can
determine which one is suited for your job.