Loctite adhesives gear-up for new challenges

Component bonding with LOCTITE instant adhesives, or cyanoacrylates, has been a tremendous force for change in the way products are designed and made.

It allows materials to be selected for their respective performance qualities rather than their compatibility with the joining method; plastics, metals and composites can be freely combined.

The adhesive also creates uniform distribution of stress over the entire bond face achieving a very positive effect on static and dynamic stress, contributing to the durability and reliability of the end-product. As the joint is relatively invisible, the aesthetics of the product are also considerably enhanced.

Henkel has continuously developed its Instant Component Bonding (ICB) range of cyanoacrylates to provide the features and benefits needed by today’s manufacturers to create innovative, reliable and profitable end products. Over the years, developments have been wide ranging, from the introduction of instants with gap-filling capabilities to light cure formulations for bonding clear and transparent substrates. 

But in its latest generation of LOCTITE Instant Component Bonding (ICB) adhesives, Henkel has broken new ground on multiple fronts to introduce a range that addresses the very latest demands in product design and manufacturing as well as sustainability and worker safety.

Small, complex products

Market trend is increasingly towards products that are small and complex; home automation products are a good example and LOCTITE instant adhesives have proved the ideal bonding solution for such devices. Broad substrate versatility has certainly driven this take-up, giving designers greater freedom to create smaller, higher performing and visually attractive products.

The new LOCTITE ICB range complements these inherent instant adhesive benefits with superior heat aging, excellent hot strength and high humidity resistance, important factors for many new devices which generate a lot of heat in use. All these qualities combine to prevent premature failure and reduce warranty claims.

Scaling-up production

Perhaps the most compelling argument for the use of instant adhesives over traditional joining methods is their ability to streamline operations and increase productivity. Instants boast extremely fast fixture speeds – around 3-10 seconds with the latest generation product – and this rapid strength development translates to a reduction of work-in-progress and the ability to use a continuous flow assembly process.

Instants are simple to automate and integrate into existing processes because they are easy to dispense and require only a small dose to deliver wide-ranging benefits. Not only does this make it possible to increase output, it also controls material costs and enables greater flexibility in design.

Sustainability and safety

Balancing new regulations and restrictions on hazardous chemicals is an increasingly important consideration for adhesive developers and users alike. For many years a comprehensive Health and Safety range of hazard label free adhesives has been at the heart of the LOCTITE product portfolio, frontline offerings that cover the lion’s share of common applications. 

A key attribute of the latest generation ICB range from Henkel is that they improve occupational safety through a reduction in hazardous chemicals without sacrificing performance. Spearheaded by the ultra-performance instant LOCTITE 402, other grades in the ICB range are also now formulated to help designers and manufacturers rise to new challenges, safely and responsibly.