Adhesive bonding can be used to assemble identical materials or materials of different types; the purpose of such an assembly is to transfer mechanical loads in a given environment.

QUESTION: We want to bond steel to foamed polystyrene in large bond areas, and we want to use a cost-effective adhesive that doesn’t take long to dry. Is a hot melt the way to go?

Industries ranging from automotive and consumer electronics to building and construction are designing and manufacturing products that call for increasingly sophisticated bonding solutions.

For technical applications that require some form of adhesion, pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) usually offer the best value, given their affordability, ease of use and clean application, when compared to alternative bonding options like mechanical fasteners or liquid adhesives.

I'm writing this column in the midst of a very busy week. Sometime between conference calls and podcast recordings, I realized how little time I now need to spend on tasks that—even just a few years ago—took up the majority of my day.

QUESTION: The adhesives we use are now available from more than one supplier. How can we feel comfortable when changing to a new supplier?

Material formulators continue to define and develop new formulations of epoxies, silicones, polyurethanes, and acrylics for their customers’ product assembly applications.