Cladding is the application of one material over another. It is quite commonly used with metal products. Two dissimilar metals can be fasten together, often without welding or soldering. The outer layer of metal material can provide useful properties for the metal product, such as resistance to corrosion or aesthetic appeal. The base metal beneath may be chose for general strength or cheapness. The combined product may well have the best properties of both materials.
Metals are sometime bonded by the sheer force of roll bonding. Two thicker sheets of metal are press together between two rollers. This results in a single sheet of the two materials that is thinner than the original components. At other times metals are combined with laser technology, which is ideal for very thin deposits of metal coating.
Aluminium Cladding is very common in architecture and piping. The aluminium is bonded to the base metal by pushing it through a die under high pressure and heat. The final product is resistant to corrosion under most applications, and can be coloured using an anodizing technique.