The Future for Joining Metals by Techniques recently Developed

IT is generally agreed there would be a significant saving in weight and consequent improvement in efficiency, if aircraft could be assembled by welding, instead of by the use of mechanical fasteners. The size of the savings is indicated and the reasons for the currently limited use of welded assemblies are listed. A short list has been chosen of those conventional and more recently developed welding procedures which might be considered suitable for assembling aircraft in future. The compatibility of these procedures and specific alloys is discussed. The relation between the welding procedures and the various components of the airframe is reviewed and some of the developments which might be possible through the use of welded construction are mentioned. There is a short discussion, also, on the joining of the composite materials which may be important in future airframe structures.