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Well wire-bond (within IC packages) is a form of welding, so it's not so uncommon.. Also the electrodes within a vacuum tube were all welded. Also wire welding

Well wire-bond (within IC packages) is a form of welding, so it's not so uncommon.. Also the electrodes within a vacuum tube were all welded. Also wire welding is very common (it's the main technique) in automobile wiring harnesses. Suppose you had an old radio made with all welded construction. I wonder if service would be easier or harder? There is no un-welding (so you'd have to cut the broken component out), but making the new weld is faster than soldering.

jacquesm 7y ago
> Well wire-bond (within IC packages) is a form of welding, so it's not so uncommon.. Also the electrodes within a vacuum tube were all welded. Sure, but that is inside the components. This is on the outside, after the components themselves have been manufactured. > Also wire welding is very common (it's the main technique) in automobile wiring harnesses. That may be so today but it certainly wasn't in the 1960's. And even today your typical automotive boars is just soldered. Makes me wonder whether satellites and current space and possibly aircraft circuitry is still manufactured like this.
- jaak 7y ago
  I'm not an expert on this, but there's a famous case from 1998 where the Galaxy IV telecommunications satellite developed "tin whiskers" on it's soldered connections which caused an electrical short resulting in a total loss. So, at least in this case solder was used on a satellite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV
  - thewonderidiot 7y ago
    Solder is used extensively in satellites nowadays. The catch, though, is that you must use leaded solder, because the lead dramatically decreases the occurrence of tin whiskers. RoHS has been rather annoying in the aerospace industry, because anything RoHS compliant can't safely fly.
    - varjag 7y ago
      Weren't a lot components RoHS-compliant intrinsically anyway, without any change in process whatsoever?
convolvatron 7y ago
what is the welding process here (for external leads). i've been concerned about tig welding on enclosures with components tied to the frame ground..in fact i'm pretty sure i've destroyed some stuff that way
- abakker 7y ago
  I don’t know, but I’d bet GTAW/TIG. But, if you are careful about ground placement you might be ok. Certainly you can’t just use the table ground
- userbinator 7y ago
  Almost certainly resistance welding. It's very fast and passes current only through the two pieces to be welded together, so avoids all the issues of stray currents and the other safety precautions needed with arc welding processes like TIG that generate UV and showers of molten metal. 19:50 in this video shows one in use in making a vacuum tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx3IOlzMKp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx3IOlzMKp4

jacquesm 7y ago

> Well wire-bond (within IC packages) is a form of welding, so it's not so uncommon.. Also the electrodes within a vacuum tube were all welded. Sure, but that is inside the components. This is on the outside, after the components themselves have been manufactured. > Also wire welding is very common (it's the main technique) in automobile wiring harnesses. That may be so today but it certainly wasn't in the 1960's. And even today your typical automotive boars is just soldered. Makes me wonder whether satellites and current space and possibly aircraft circuitry is still manufactured like this.

jaak 7y ago
I'm not an expert on this, but there's a famous case from 1998 where the Galaxy IV telecommunications satellite developed "tin whiskers" on it's soldered connections which caused an electrical short resulting in a total loss. So, at least in this case solder was used on a satellite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_IV
- thewonderidiot 7y ago
  Solder is used extensively in satellites nowadays. The catch, though, is that you must use leaded solder, because the lead dramatically decreases the occurrence of tin whiskers. RoHS has been rather annoying in the aerospace industry, because anything RoHS compliant can't safely fly.
  - varjag 7y ago
    Weren't a lot components RoHS-compliant intrinsically anyway, without any change in process whatsoever?

convolvatron 7y ago

what is the welding process here (for external leads). i've been concerned about tig welding on enclosures with components tied to the frame ground..in fact i'm pretty sure i've destroyed some stuff that way

abakker 7y ago
I don’t know, but I’d bet GTAW/TIG. But, if you are careful about ground placement you might be ok. Certainly you can’t just use the table ground
userbinator 7y ago
Almost certainly resistance welding. It's very fast and passes current only through the two pieces to be welded together, so avoids all the issues of stray currents and the other safety precautions needed with arc welding processes like TIG that generate UV and showers of molten metal. 19:50 in this video shows one in use in making a vacuum tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx3IOlzMKp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx3IOlzMKp4