Page 59 - Handbook of Adhesives and Sealants

An Introduction to Adhesives and Sealants 27

ucts and microelectronics are often assembled with adhesives. Non-
metallic materials, such as plastics, elastomers, ceramics, and many
paper products, can be joined together and to one another more eco-
nomically and efficiently with adhesive bonding than with other meth-
ods.
Adhesives may also be a good way of adding options or additions to
a line of manufactured items that share a common design. This allows
the elimination or reduction of extra holes for mechanical fasteners
and can eliminate expensive machining or stamping steps on the com-
mon part. Versatility in product aesthetics, good mechanical reliabil-
ity, and manufacturing speed are also benefits of providing design op-
tions with adhesives.

1.4.4 Production advantages
Adhesive bonding is, at times, faster and less expensive than conven-
tional fastening methods. It is well suited for high-volume production
or assemblies requiring large bonded areas. As the size of the area to
be joined increases, the time and labor saved by using adhesives in-
stead of mechanical fasteners become progressively greater because
the entire joint area can be bonded in one operation. Figure 1.8 shows
the economy of large area metal-to-metal bonding compared with riv-
eting.
Some adhesives are especially well suited to applications requiring
rapid assembly especially if the end-use requirements (i.e., strength,
heat, and chemical resistance) are not too severe. The packaging in-
dustry and much of the decorative furniture industry uses adhesives
because they are fast and consistent. In the medical products industry,
use of ultraviolet curing permits rapid assembly of syringes and other
articles. Certain automotive materials are chosen for their ability to

Figure 1.8 The economy of metal-to-metal bonding com-
pared with conventional riveted structure. 9