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News - Bonding To Glass using Tape

With the benefits of no curing time and being quick and easy to apply, tapes can be advantageous when bonding to glass.

We recommend, NovaBond XS100C which  is a water clear 1.0mm thick, high performance extruded acrylic bonding tape.

The tape exhibits excellent initial tack and ultimate bond strength on a variety of substrates including clear acrylics and glass. It will perform under the harshest environmental conditions where there is movement due to dissimilar expansion and contraction or environmental conditions.

 

Low Temperature Bonding

When bonding to glass at temperatures below 10°C, there is a risk of condensation forming on the surface which will prevent bonding. If this is the case, apply gentle heat from a hot air gun or hair dryer in order to warm the surface to above 10°C taking care not to overheat and crack the glass.

Glass can be a difficult surface to bond to as it is very flat and smooth but can trap impurities and moisture in the fine surface pores.

For this reason we always recommend priming with NovaBond Silane Glass Primer allowing this to dry and act, either naturally, or by speeding up the process in cold temperatures by, again, applying warm air.

 

Applying lettering to glass

When bonding lettering onto glass, ensure both the surface of the glass and the rear of the letter are cleaned and primed with NovaBond Silane Glass Primer. If either the letter or glass are excessively soiled, clean well with soap & water and dry completely prior to priming.

We always recommend applying the tape to the lettering first and where possible, under shop floor conditions where cleaning is easier, the ambient temperature is more controlled and the tape has a chance to bond well into the surface prior to fixing to the glass.

Apply the lettering whilst the glass surface is still warm and condensation has not had chance to reform on the surface. Start to remove the liner (around 50 – 75mm) and peel out to the side of the letter and line up the letter correctly.

Then apply firm pressure, preferably from one side of the letter in one direction so as to avoid trapping any air bubbles, and peel out the liner.

It’s beneficial to use a roller to achieve uniform pressure over the whole of the letter to ensure 100% surface contact between the letter and the glass. It is probably worth making up some removable markings to ensure that the letters are correctly aligned prior to fixing as the adhesive is not very forgiving.

Removal of a misaligned letter may result in damage, so if the glass has cooled down in-between fixing other letters, re-apply gentle heat before fixing each letter.

You may find it easier to roll out the tape and apply the letter directly onto the exposed adhesive. Cut round the letter carefully with a sharp scalpel or knife and then turn the letter over and apply firm pressure by means of a NovaBond Roller to expel any trapped air bubbles.

The resulting bond will initially achieve around 60 – 70% bond strength and this should be sufficient to support the weight of the lettering. The adhesive will continue to flow, however, reaching ultimate bond strength in 48 – 72 hours.

If in doubt, apply some strong masking tape to support the letters until the NovaBond XS100C  has achieved ultimate bond strength.

 

Click here to link through to our full NovaBond product range.

Contact Michael Thompson @ michael@innovasolutions.co.uk for more information.

Innova Solutions: bonding people, fixing problems: +44 (0)1282 867 390

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