In the last two articles, we covered two very important steps when choosing the right structural, industrial adhesive for bonding various substrates, suitability and compatibility. Many industries produce laminated panels and composites such as in automotive manufacturing and building and construction materials. Using the right adhesive is absolutely critical to ensure long-lasting bonding for product performance and functionality. This is especially true when bonding two dissimilar materials, which is often the case when laminating to metal, rubber, vinyl, or other materials.
Three of the most important considerations when choosing the right industrial adhesive include:
- Suitability
- Compatibility
- Capability
In this article, we will discuss the importance of Capability.
Capability of Adhesives for Assembly
The capability of adhesives for assembly refers to the requirement to ensure that the adhesive is functionally reliable and effective in service. Determining capability includes testing, beginning with coupon level testing and leading to sub-article or on a complete component level. According to Sciencedirect.com, coupon level testing provides benefits to all design areas that are fabricated with the material(s) of interest.
Coupon, Sub-Article and Full-Article Testing
Coupon testing gathers design data and bond strength and is used to test many functional features such as environmental factors, stress resistance and surface preparations. Coupon level testing that is then fed into a modeling system can reduce the number of samples required for testing. Fewer samples that focus on the adhesive itself and the adhesion properties are fed into a model and then confirmed with sub-article and full-article testing.
Sub article testing includes testing enough of the overall structure to determine efficacy of the adhesives and materials on a manageable sized product or article. For testing operational limits of loading and environmental stressors, a full-sized assembly is typically used. Some testing activities may include exposure to environmental elements such as cyclic extremes of heat and humidity and exposure to corrosive elements.
A common goal with full-size assembly testing is for the product to withstand somewhere between 120% to 150% of the maximum operational requirement of the product in service. This is represented as a safety factor of 1.2 to 1.5.
High-Performance Industrial Adhesives for Laminating and Assembly
Working with an experienced chemical coating and industrial adhesive manufacturer is absolutely critical for successful assembly with adhesives in any laminating application. A deep understanding of adhesive chemistry is important when troubleshooting challenges in laminating substrates. Universal Chemicals & Coatings, Inc., UNICHEM, has been providing adhesive solutions including troubleshooting laminating adhesive problems and providing a solution for success.
UNICHEM has been providing custom coating and adhesive solutions for more than 50 years with high quality, high performance products. uniBOND industrial adhesive is proven in many laminating applications and can be customized to meet your specific requirements. Contact us to learn more about improving your laminating or assembly with adhesives process.