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The sign, printing and graphics industry is one that involves constant innovation and requires solutions to unique challenges. Signage and graphical printing are now commonplace in nearly every environment, and are applied to a growing number of surfaces and modern materials.

Adhesives are playing an increasingly important role in the industry as they provide ways to adhere modern materials, allow improved aesthetics and reduce the cost of mechanical fasteners. Double-sided acrylic foam tapes like VHB from 3M and similar brands are used particularly in permanently adhere all types of signage quickly, easily and reliably.

What are structural bonding tapes?

Structural bonding tapes are generally coated acrylic foam. These tapes can vary in thickness from under .5mm to over 2mm. They come in rolls covered by a release liner and are easily applied to cleaned surfaces as regular tape would be. When the release liner is removed and the surfaces are pressed together, adhesive begins flowing and bonding to each surface. In general, 50 percent of the bond strength is achieved after 20 minutes, with 90 percent after 24 hours and 100 percent after 72 hours.

These tapes come in a few different families, for bonding different substrates. They generally provide excellent bond strengths on a number of materials, including metal, glass and plastics. Special formulations are available for low surface energy materials like polyethylene and polypropylene, and others can be used for plasticized vinyl – unlike some other adhesives. Adhesives’ foam-core construction also allows for thermal expansion and contraction, even between dissimilar substrates.

Unique advantages of adhesive tapes

Structural bonding tapes provide some unique advantages, particularly over mechanical fasteners, but also in comparison to other adhesives. The bonds formed have extremely high tensile strength, as well as resistance to moisture and chemical attack. They perform better than rivets or bolts in many cases, not only because of their high strength, but because their uniformity allows stress to be spread across the entire bond line.

Their foam-core construction also allows for thermal expansion and contraction, even between dissimilar substrates, increasing the life span of bonded parts. They are simpler to use than other adhesive methods because they require no mixing or clean up and can be applied by hand without specialised equipment.

How are they being used?

In the sign, printing and graphics industry, tapes are used for a number of permanent bonding solutions. They are used to attach road signs to metal backings and stiffeners, as well as other general-purpose metal signage. Structural bonding tapes can attach dissimilar substrates, so attachment metal to concrete or other architectural materials is possible. Both large and small exterior signs for businesses can be adhered with tapes – like large acrylic lettering or placards. They can also be used to apply architectural panels with seamless construction and around contoured profiles.

 

Shop our range of adhesive tapes here. 

Additional Links

If you have any questions about adhesive tapes, we know a man who can help! Ask The Ellsworth Adhesives Glue Doctor!

The content for this month’s blog post was provided by Gluespec® – a service of Ellsworth Adhesives.
Gluespec helps engineers to discover adhesives and other materials for their industrial applications.

Polyurethane adhesives, also known as PU adhesives, provide extremely strong and secure bonds. Polyurethanes cater to a wide variety of application requirements due to their sheer versatility and are used in numerous industries including automotive and electronics.

Available to purchase in both one and two component formulations, polyurethane adhesives can be altered to suit the user’s specifications. Part of the structural adhesive family, polyurethanes bring a whole host of advantages to bonding applications.

Read on to find out which characteristics make polyurethanes a popular choice…

Polyurethanes adhesives are truly versatile:

Polyurethanes can be used to bond a wide variety of materials, including those which are dissimilar. This includes metals, plastics, composites, wood and rubber. The ability to form strong bonds between these diverse materials is crucial to the longevity of the application.

Furthermore, polyurethanes are available in numerous different custom formulations to suit specific application requirements. Additional features include optical clarity, low odour, colour and cure times. The ability to adapt these characteristics makes polyurethanes a truly functional choice.

 

PU adhesives are extremely flexible:

Polyurethanes have very good elongation and recovery properties and can be used in applications which require a degree of flexibility. This makes them an excellent choice for bonding applications where the materials have different coefficients of expansion, or those with differing elongation properties when bearing high loads.

 

Design freedom is endless with polyurethanes:

Unlike mechanical fasteners, structural adhesives allow for the easy joining of complex shapes. They also allow for the bonding of dissimilar materials with ease. Due to these characteristics, polyurethanes are often used by manufacturers in light weighting applications. Polyurethanes provide smooth and invisible bond lines and do not take away from the aesthetic of the finished materials.

 
 

They also provide high strength bonds:

Polyurethanes can form a strong bond even before the adhesive has dried and sealed completely. This initial bond has enough strength that it does not require any form of clamps or fastening materials, making the manufacturing process much quicker and simpler.

These robust bonds make polyurethanes a highly effective choice in demanding applications. In addition to a strong bond, polyurethanes also provide a tight seal.

 

And are suitable even in harsh environments:

Polyurethane adhesives are resistant to temperature fluctuations and remain undamaged when exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods of time. They are also available with varying degrees of chemical and heat resistance which ensure the material does not deteriorate in harsh conditions.
 

Our Best Selling Polyurethane Adhesives:

Robnor Resinlab EL420LV

3m 550

Robnor Resinlab EL171H

Lord 550

Shop our complete range of polyurethane adhesives here.

 

Additional links:

At Ellsworth Adhesives, we supply a wide range of polyurethane adhesives from leading brands Lord, 3M, Henkel Loctite, Robnor Resinlab and Permabond. View our entire range of polyurethane adhesives here.

Do you want more information about structural adhesives? Read our Quick Guide to Structural Adhesives here.

Not sure if polyurethanes adhesives are right for you? Our Glue Doctor is here to answer any technical questions you may have. Simply fill out our enquiry form.

A threadlocker is an anaerobic, single-part adhesive which is applied to the threads of fasteners such as screws or bolts to prevent loosening. Threadlocking adhesives are increasingly replacing traditional locking devices in threaded assemblies as a way of overcoming challenging production issues and increasing reliability.

Read on to find out 4 benefits of threadlockers over mechanical locking devices, as well as our top product recommendations…

1. Ability to Gap Fill

 

Traditional methods are not always effective as they cannot completely fill the gap between the substrate and the fastener. In fact, there is only around 15% contact between the engaging threads of the mechanical locking device, leaving an 85% air gap.

The liquid consistency of threadlockers means they can overcome these design flaws and fully fill the gap with ease, locking out air and other contaminants.

We recommend: Henkel Loctite 245 Medium Strength

2. Reduce Vibration

The air gap which is produced when using mechanical locking devices allows for vibration and a side to side movement of the screw or bolt to occur. This movability leads to the fastener becoming loose and can cause the threaded assembly to fail. When a threadlocker has been used to set the fastener in place, it fills the gap and solidifies to form a tough thermoset plastic. This plastic is resistant to vibration and has strong polymeric chain properties which prevent any lateral movement.

We recommend: Permabond MM15 Threadlocker

3. Resistant to Environmental Factors

 

Locking threads and bolts can seize together when used in areas with humidity or high temperatures. They are also prone to corrosion and rusting, all of which affect the ability to disassemble the parts for future repair or rework. By implementing threadlockers, they act as a thread lubricant and seal the metals against corrosion.

Furthermore, threadlockers are resistant to extreme temperatures and exhibit high chemical resistance which ensures a strong, robust bond.

We recommend: Henkel Loctite 278 High Strength Threadlocker

 

4. Less Materials Required

The use of traditional mechanical locking devices requires the user to have a diverse selection of shapes and sizes to ensure there is one suitable for all application requirements. This isn’t an issue with threadlockers however as they are universally applicable to a wide range of substrates regardless of their structure. They also have a lower cost per unit during application when compared to using individual locking devices.

Furthermore, threadlocking adhesives are available in a range of different strengths to suit each application. Low and medium strength threadlockers allow for easy removal for rework using traditional hand tools, whilst high strength variations suit more permanent applications.

We recommend: Permabond HM129 Threadlocker

 Shop our wide range of threadlockers now.

Additional links:

At Ellsworth Adhesives, we supply a wide range of threadlockers from leading brands Henkel Loctite and Permabond. View our entire range of threadlockers here.

Unsure which threadlocker is right for you? Our Glue Doctor is available to answer any technical questions you may have. Simply fill out our enquiry form.

Silicone adhesives and conformal coatings are known for forming robust bonds which exhibit high levels of flexibility, as well as excellent chemical and heat resistance. Whilst these characteristics are a huge advantage in bonding applications, they can make the process of removing silicones from surfaces or equipment a difficult task.

We’ve highlighted 5 key adhesive cleaners from our extensive portfolio which excel at the removal of both cured and uncured silicone.

Dowsil (Dow Corning) OS-2 Solvent

Dowsil OS-2 Silicone cleaner and surface prep solvent was developed specifically to be used as a cleaning agent and carrier. It is effective at removing uncured silicone sealants, oils and greases and can be used to soften many cured silicones. It can also be used as a way of diluting and tailoring the viscosity of silicones to suit the user’s application requirements.

Key Features:

• Safe on plastics and is non-corrosive to metals
• Evaporates completely at room temperature
• Can be used to prep surfaces prior to sealant or lubricant applications
• Low toxicity

Shop here. 

 

 

Dowsil DS-1000 Aqueous Silicone Cleaner

Uncured silicone fluids and residues which are left behind during production can be easily removed with the use of Dowsil DS-1000 Aqueous Silicone Cleaner. The specialised cleaning solvent has been developed to emulsify silicone oils, greases and uncured silicone elastomers.

Key features:

• Effective at degreasing in a wide range of manufacturing or processing applications
• EU Detergent Regulation Compliant
• Aqueous solution for ease of use
• Non-flammable

Shop here. 

 

Dowsil DS-2025 Silicone Cleaning Solvent

Cured silicone is traditionally tougher to remove from surfaces as it is highly resistant to changes in temperature, as well as exhibiting unique elastomeric properties. Dowsil DS-2025 Silicone Cleaning Solvent is a highly effective method of removing silicone as it rapidly depolymerises and dissolves cured silicone, allowing it to be simply wiped away with water.

Key Features:

• Can be collected, stored and re-used up to ten times making it a cost-effective purchase
• Low viscosity
• Does not contain aromatic or halogenated solvents
• Compatible with most construction materials
• Non-flammable

Shop here. 

 

 

Microcare Ultraclean VOC-Free Flux Remover

Silicone coatings can be challenging to remove due to their durable composition and chemical resistance properties. However, Microcare’s Ultra Clean VOC-Free Flux Remover can quickly and easily remove silicone conformal coatings as it is based on innovative siloxane technology. This means that the chemical composition is very similar to that of most silicone conformal coatings, allowing for easy and effective removal.

Key Features:

• Fast drying formulation
• Completely halogen-free
• Strongest non-chlorinated PCB cleaner on the market
• Highly effective on no-clean fluxes and pastes
• Can also remove acrylic conformal coatings, as well as oil, grease, roisin-based fluxes and paste

Shop here.

 

 

Microcare MCC-DC1G No-Clean Flux Remover VeriClean

Another key product from the Microcare range is the Microcare MCC-DC16 No-Clean Flux Remover. The moderately-aggressive cleaning fluid excels at dissolving and removing silicone conformal coatings, oils and silicone adhesives quickly and easily. It is even effective on fully cured-conformal coatings and swell silicone tubing.

Key Features:

• Fast drying
• Low Odour
• Safe for use on plastics
• No residue/rinsing required
• Excellent at cleaning no clean fluxes and pastes

 

Shop here 

 

Shop our extensive range of surface cleaners here.

Additional Links:

Want to know more about effective surface preparation? Check out our “Ultimate Guide to Surface Preparation.“ blog post to read our in-depth guide.

If you have any other queries regarding adhesive cleaners or selecting the correct product for your application, please don’t hesitate to ask our Ellsworth Glue Doctor who can answer all your technical questions. Simply fill out our enquiry form here.