Maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) engineers are looking for new ways to reduce their carbon footprint and to this end, engineering adhesives are increasingly being used in place of mechanical fastenings. 

Bostik, an Arkema company, recently launched in EMEA a safer and more sustainable WL range offering within its Born2Bond™ anaerobic adhesives portfolio of engineering adhesives.

After more than 20 years of sharing his expertise and wisdom in the monthly Ask Dr. Dave column, Dave Dunn has retired as a columnist. Here we share some of his most popular columns over the years.

You have a wide range of possibilities here. Normally, you would require an adhesive that has been toughened with a rubber for this.

Adhesives and sealants are an essential component of every equipment maintenance and reliability plan. With rapidly developing technologies and products, businesses need to stay on top of these trends. When implemented correctly, adhesives and sealants can play a critical role in improving equipment reliability and lowering maintenance and operational costs.

Recent innovations in the electronics industry, such as hybrid vehicles, mobile electronic devices, medical applications, digital cameras, computers, defense telecommunications, and augmented reality headsets, touch nearly every part of our lives.

Adhesives and sealants have a long history in shipbuilding and marine industries, providing protection against water, chemicals, weather, and environmental degradation. In the earliest days of seafaring, natural sealants such as pine resins were cooked down and applied liberally, requiring regular re-treatments. 

Solvent-based adhesives were traditionally attractive systems for both industrial users and consumers. They are low-cost systems that dry quickly and frequently give high performance, particularly on plastics where the solvents soften or dissolve the surface layers.