5. Conclusion

It is remarkable that the groups of alloys examined for use in mechanical welding are as disparate as copper, whose origins go back to ancient times, and zirconium, whose industrialization dates back a few decades. This diversity is due to the fundamentally different physical and chemical characteristics of the constituent elements, and gives rise to processing and assembly methods specific to each group or sub-group. Under no circumstances can these methods be transposed from one alloy to another without a minimum of thought. In the decades to come, we shall see the development of shape-memory alloys and non-cryogenic superconductors, as well as additive manufacturing, in which welding will still have its place.