INSTANT BONDING OF PLASTICS

摘要

In an ongoing search for ways to design lower cost, lighter weight, more durable products, appliance and subcomponent manufacturers are increasingly substituting plastic components for parts once made of metal or glass. By nature, plastics are highly corrosion resistant and require no surface treatment to withstand exposure to corrosive materials. Plastics can be easily formed into complex shapes, allowing designers to reduce the number of parts in an assembly; however, many times these components need to be connected in the final assembly. Whether bonding plastic to plastic or plastic to another material, adhesives offer several major benefits. Whereas mechanical fastening methods concentrate the stress in one spot, with adhesives, the load is spread over a wide area, reducing the amount of concentrated stress on the joint. Mechanical fasteners such as rivets, nuts, and bolts require holes to be drilled into the assembly, and frequently interfere with the aesthetic styling of the product. Neither ultrasonic nor solvent welding can bond plastic to metals or glass -only adhesives can provide such a bond. In many cases, adhesives are the low cost fastening method compared to mechanical fasteners, which must be inventoried, require pre-assembly preparation, and are labor intensive. Adhesives are one-size-fits-all, and can be easily automated in a production environment.The newest and fastest growing adhesive technology for instant plastic bonding applications are enhanced Cyanoacrylates (CAs) (Instant adhesives, often referred to as super glues) and ultraviolet (UV) and visible light curing adhesives, CAs and Light curing adhesives are ideally suited for in-line, automated dispensing and curing. These adhesives can cure rapidly, while providing long open time.