Improve Aluminum Brazing Efficiencies

Precision Fluxing

Molten flux is commonly used to facilitate the wetting, spreading, and flowing of molten filler metal into the gap between panels to form a brazed joint. This widely employed technique uses a spray, dip, roll, brush, or shower process to apply flux uniformly to the surface of a part, which results in the excess use of flux.

Solution
Jet Applied Brazing Flux is part of our jet printing solution for controlled atmosphere brazing of aluminum. The flux is only applied where it is needed, reducing flux consumption by up to 85% or more.

Flux Residue

Excess flux leaves flux residue, which is wasteful, adds unnecessary weight and it contaminates and corrodes surfaces—compromising the appearance and lifespan of aluminum parts.

Solution:
Jet Applied Brazing Flux is a thixotropic paste incorporating flux particles several times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, which prevents hard sediments from forming in process equipment and from blocking jet nozzles. It is applied only on the joint areas required, reducing flux residue by up to 95%.

Post-Brazing Wash

Flux residue must be removed, which requires a lengthy washing process with heated water or chemicals. The post-brazing wash consumes time, space, materials, and labor.

Solution:
Due to reduced flux and residue, using Jet Applied Brazing Flux with jet printing technology eliminates the need for a post-brazing wash—saving time, materials, labor, and waste.

Energy Costs

Common aluminum brazing requires high temperatures for the brazing and abundant water for the post-brazing wash.

Solution:
Jet Applied Brazing Flux is a unique multi-constituent phase material providing an exceptionally low melting temperature (552 ± 3.0°C), saving up to 20% brazing time and reducing energy usage. Removing the post-brazing wash eliminates most water consumption.
 

Efficiency

Without Jet Applied Brazing Flux printing, the aluminum brazing process requires manual rolling, brushing, dipping, or spraying.

Solution:
Using contactless jet dispensers with Jet Applied Brazing Flux reduces much of the manual labor required, especially if automation points (e.g., robotic arms) are introduced into the process, significantly increasing assembly belt speeds.

Multi-Directional Fluxing

Apply flux horizontally, from the top facing down and even from the bottom dispersing upwards.

Leveraging multiple robotic arms equipped with Jet Valves is a game-changer!  It enables precise, simultaneous and multidirectional fluxing without the need to reposition the substrate being fluxed.

Variable Sizes, Weights, & Patterns

Jet Applied Brazing Flux is a thixotropic flux formulation that is precisely positioned in a wide range of shapes, patterns, spacing, and volumes. 

Using a jet valve, single dot, less than 1 millimeter in diameter can be created.  This can be further modified by applying additional dots or adjusting the volume of flux per dot.   

The space between the dots can also be adjusted from 20% up to 100% which essentially creates a solid line of flux, providing customization at all levels.