Welding is a fabrication process that joins ‘like’ materials together, usually metals or thermoplastics. The process applies high heat or pressure and a ‘filler’ or ‘consumable’, usually welding wire to join the separate parts together. When the joined parts are allowed to cool, a permanent bond is created. Unlike brazing or soldering, welding melts the base material and filler together, so that after the process the joint and parent material are nearly indistinguishable. The joined parts are sometimes referred to as a ‘weldment’.
The material added to help form the joint are called filler metals. These consumables are typically welded by a similar material to the parent material, to create a uniformed product. When a specific property or properties are needed in the welded product, a different ‘base metal consumable’ may be used to match the properties needed.