the

difference
between

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN: and smooth surfaces can be bonded
with a variety of products ranging from

Liquid and Tape double-coated foam tapes to two-

part structural adhesives. Substrates
such as flexible vinyl have plasticizers

Adhesives in which migrate to the surface and

degrade the bond over time, so a
plasticizer-resistant adhesive or tape

Application would be necessary. If a substrate has

been powder-coated or painted, the
coating becomes the bonding surface
It is important to find the right bonding product for your specific rather than the substrate, and you will
application regardless of the materials you are using. Whether have to consider an adhesive solution
bonding plastic, composites, metals, or any other material, specifically designed for that surface.
the choice of the adhesive or tape can vary depending on the In determining which adhesive
environment and performance requirements of the final application. or tape will perform best in your
This article will cover some of the more important information application, you’ll want to review the
needed for you to make the right choice for your application. type of assembly you are hoping
to bond. Six of the more common
THE PURPOSE OF AN types of assemblies include
ADHESIVE is to attach two panel-to-frame or stiffener-to-
substrates—sometimes of panel assemblies, small joint
different materials—without assemblies, large surface
using mechanical fasteners laminations, mounting and
(rivets, screws, and bolts) or trim attachments, gasket
welding. Surface condition is attachments, and sealing or
the first and most important potting and encapsulating
consideration even before (see photos 1 through 6).
determining whether to use In general, there are three
an adhesive or tape product. Panel to Frame concerns when trying to
Ask yourself: Is the surface decide on whether to use
rough, smooth, porous, or liquid or tape adhesive:
coated? What are the sizes of adhesion, performance, and
the parts? Most importantly, process.
is the surface clean?
An example might be an Adhesion: Will it stick?
adhesive paste that would Every surface is different;
flow into a textured surface therefore, the first thing to
where a tape would be consider is whether the
unable to make contact. solution you’ve chosen will
Large rigid parts with clean Small Joint adhere to the substrate, or

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1
 the
difference
between

substrates, you are trying to bond. To
form an adhesive bond, there must be
intimate contact between surfaces.
To choose the proper adhesive, take
the surface energy of all substrates
into consideration. To illustrate the
concept of surface energy, think of
Large Surface Lamination
Mounting and Trim
Gasket Attachment
2
water on the unwaxed hood of a car.
The unwaxed hood has high surface
energy, and water on the hood flows
into puddles. In comparison, a waxed
hood has low surface energy, and the
water beads up rather than flows out.
Like water, adhesive on a high surface
energy substrate flows and wets out
the surface. Wetting out is required to
form a strong bond.
This is only the beginning. Adhesion
is determined by the surface of
the substrate, the geometry of the
designed joint, and the chemistry of
the adhesive. Apart from the substrate
itself, the joint should be designed to
keep the adhesive in shear or tensile –
mitigating peel and cleavage forces as
much as possible. Various chemistries
of adhesive such as epoxy, acrylic,
or urethane will bond differently
to different substrates. It’s often
necessary to compare the technical
data pages of several adhesive or tape
options or contact the manufacturer
for more specific information.
Performance: Will it hold up?
Calculating whether your chosen
adhesive will perform is a longer
and more complicated issue, and
you should contact your supplier for
specific information about different
adhesives. Understand that this
part of the analysis will take some
understanding of the adhesives as
well as your bond surfaces. You’ll
want to consider stress and strain,
as well as how much bond area you
will need and how much force the
components will have to withstand.
You’ll also want to understand
cohesive strength, which is a measure
of how the adhesive holds together
internally under stress. Once again,
the higher the cohesive strength,
the stronger the adhesive. When
deciding on the proper adhesive for
your application, consider all stresses
that will be felt by the bond, including
shear, cleavage, peel, and tensile.
The combination of wetting out and
cohesive strength will give you a
good idea of how well your bond will
perform.
Process: Can you use it?
An additional check before
making a purchase is to consider
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 the
difference
between

Sealing/Potting
the assembly process you will be
using. This sounds like an easy
decision, but when you consider your
manufacturing process thoroughly,
you may find some snags you didn’t
initially consider. At this point you’ll
want to know if your production will be
manual or automated. What types of
equipment will you need? Another key
point is how quickly your assembly
will be moved between manufacturing
steps. Is there enough time for a
liquid adhesive to dry or cure? More
importantly, what are the health and
environmental safety requirements at
your facility?
When deciding on the right
adhesive for your application, there
are many factors to consider. We’ve
covered some general information
you’ll want to look into prior to
selecting a solution that will work
for you, but there are many other
3
considerations, as well. Contacting
the experts who work for your supplier
can help immensely. They’ll help
you make material selections based
on your particular needs for both
operational strength and production
simplicity.
REQUEST FOR MORE
INFORMATION
www.3m.com/AssemblySolutions
AT 3M, we apply science in collabor-
ative ways to improve lives daily. With
$32 billion in sales, our 91,000 em-
ployees connect with customers all
around the world. Learn more about
3M’s creative solutions to the world’s
problems at www.3M.com/Assem-
blySolutions and on Twitter @3M or
@3MNews. Phone 888-364-3577.
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