Final answer:
The correct answer is C. Mechanical fastening. Mechanical fastening relies on separate hardware components like nuts and bolts to join parts, distinct from welding, which uses heat to melt materials together.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that involves the use of separate components to create a mechanical joint between two or more parts is known as C. Mechanical fastening. This method includes a variety of fasteners, such as screws, nuts and bolts, rivets, and pins, among others, which are used to hold components together mechanically. Unlike welding, which joins materials by melting them together with heat and sometimes filler material, or adhesive bonding, where a chemical substance is used to adhere surfaces, mechanical fastening physically attaches parts with separate pieces of hardware.
Welding, as defined in the question, is a different fabrication process that is used to join metal materials using heat and solder. Techniques such as forge welding have been around for millennia, allowing blacksmiths to join iron and steel by heating them up and hammering them together. Modern welding can involve various energy sources including gas, electricity, and lasers. As opposed to mechanical fastening, once welded, the components are not easily separable without cutting or grinding the weld.