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3M Touts Adhesive Option for Fasteners

Thursday, March 8, 2012

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3M has introduced a new line of structural adhesives that it says can replace welds, rivets, screws and other mechanical fasteners in industrial applications, reducing the risk of corrosion.

3M Scotch-Weld LSB Structural Adhesives are available as toughened or flexible two-part epoxy formulas, offering replacement options for mechanical fasteners.

Three 3M Scotch-Weld formulas are available: Toughened Epoxy Adhesive LSB60, Toughened Epoxy Adhesive LSB60NS, and Flexible Epoxy Adhesive LSB90.

3M is promoting the new line as “a superior alternative to mechanical fasteners” that offers “dependability without holes.”

Applications

Suggested applications include honeycomb panels in rail cars, elevators and aircraft; delivery truck side walls; hat channel stiffener in metal enclosures; corrugated panels to tube frame; and sign facings and cabinets.

“Holes invite corrosion and leaks,” 3M said in a release. “Rivets and screws through those holes concentrate stress and can loosen or fail with vibration. Welding generates fumes and heat for workers and burn ridges that need to be refinished for a smooth panel.”

3M calls the adhesives easy to apply. They are available in 400 ml EPX cartridges, pails and drums with a 1:1 mix ratio for use in meter mix equipment. The company will provide complimentary application testing and other advanced services at its laboratory for prospective customers.

Features

The manufacturer says structural adhesives:

• Distribute stress uniformly over the bonded area, while maintaining the panel’s surface integrity and physical properties;

• Can be used to join thinner, lighter panel materials without the risk of distortion, splitting or crazing;

• Secure small or thin bonding edges such as honeycomb;

• Can be applied in irregular patterns, to follow contours and random shapes;

• Save drilling and surface refinishing;

• Hold for the long term with resistance to vibration and impact; and

• Bond dissimilar materials without risking galvanic corrosion or stresses of different coefficients of thermal expansion/contraction.

More information: www.3m.com/largestructurebonding.