"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Mark Andrew Spence" wrote

The TICONDROGA and SPRUANCE class ships had aluminum superstructures
which were welded to a "fusion bar" which consisted of a piece of very
clean and smoothly-machined piece of aluminum FLAT BAR joined to a very
clean piece and smoothly machined piece of steel flat bar via explosive
charges.

What was the purpose of the explosive charges? (besides, to go "bang"
g)
--
Jim in NC

To make a compression weld.

Since steel and aluminum melt at different temps you can't heat weld them
like you would with normal steel-steel or heliarc(sp?) (heat weld in a
controlled atmosphere) like you would aluminum-aluminum.