You’ve Been Asking Us?

We get numerous questions and requests coming into our Technical Sales Team and email through our web contact form……so here’s our current ‘Top Ten’…..FAQ’s and Answer’s that you have been asking us?

1.  What factors do I need to consider when deciding which adhesive and bonding materials to use?

With such a large range of high strength bonding tapes and industrial adhesives, ask the following questions to determine which one is right for your application:

• What materials do you need to bond?
• Is the bond permanent or temporary?
• Is the bond internal or external?
• Are the surfaces you are bonding rough or smooth?
• Do the materials exhibit high or low surface energy (see below)?
• What stresses will be placed on the bond during its lifetime?

2.  Do you offer site visits and consultations?

Of course. Site visits are free and are the ideal way to ensure the high strength bonding tapes and industrial adhesives we recommend meet your needs. We’ll only ever suggest products which aid your production methods, aesthetics and final product quality. If you require any information or require a site visit please email us with a detailed brief of your requirements.

3.  What are the benefits of a high strength bonding tape versus a mechanical fixing?

High strength bonding tape offers a number of benefits over mechanical fixings:

• Enhanced appearance – no drilling holes, screw heads, rivets or welds
• Stress is distributed evenly across the bond rather than focused on individual fixings
• Allows different materials to expand / contract naturally
• Allows the use of thinner, lighter materials
• Faster, easier and more cost-effective to apply

4.  Does priming the surface really make a difference?

Yes. Independent tests at Loughborough University show that using the correct primer can increase final bond strength by up to 50%.

Using a primer can also increase the bond’s resistance to temperature extremes, moisture, solvents and chemicals.

5.  What does ‘high/low surface energy’ mean and how will it affect my choice of bonding material?

Think of it in terms of a waxed car. When it rains, the water forms beads which roll off the surface. In these instances, the car is exhibiting low surface energy characteristics.

Contrast that with an un-waxed car. On this surface the water forms puddles. It ‘wets out’ because of the high surface energy.

Most bonding adhesives perform best when they are able to wet out (i.e. when they are applied to high surface energy materials), although NovaBond SignFix LSE 80 is specifically formulated for low surface energy applications.

6.  What is ‘tack’?

A material’s tack is the level of immediate grab or ‘quick stick’ it exhibits. It is usually measured by touching the substrate surface with a loop of tape. Tack is also measured by rolling a metal ball over the surface. The less it travels, the higher the tack.

7.  Is there a bond that won’t be visible?

NovaBond SignFix XS100C is water clear, ideal for when the reverse of your glass or acrylic surface will be visible and aesthetics matter. It is a high performance, extruded acrylic bonding tape, formulated for the harshest environmental conditions.

For laminating flat sheets and flat shapes, NovaLite SignFix10 is a white light curing adhesive. It cures in seconds and is a low viscosity, water clear formulation that achieves an invisible, consistent, strong bond, even over large surface areas.

8.  Are your products environmentally friendly?

Inevitably, whatever we do it has an impact on the environment, however we’re working to ensure that impact is a positive one.

Given that our work involves solvent-based products, you might think there’s little we can do to improve the environmental credentials of what we do. As a leader in adhesives and bondings, we believe it’s our duty to think otherwise.

From a processes perspective, we are working with our suppliers and manufacturers, to influence and encourage them to reduce the environmental impact of their products and the way they produce it.

We’re continually working to develop our adhesive and bonding materials to balance performance with environmental considerations.

That’s why we’ve introduced eco-friendly tapes and adhesives which include:

• The dichloromethane-free NovaSol NC range of plastic welding adhesives
• Solvent-free NovaBond XS high strength bonding tapes

9. Where and why might I use a high strength bonding tape instead of an industrial adhesive?

Tapes have many benefits over adhesives. These include:

• Uniform thickness for a consistent bond thickness
• Little or no need for application machinery
• Instant bond – no waiting for glue to dry
• Neater bond lines – no need to clean any overspills
• Can be applied in production or on site
• Can be applied as pre-cut parts
• Tapes are usually more eco-friendly – high strength bonding tape contains no solvents to evaporate during application

10. How do I prepare a surface properly prior to bonding?

• For best results always ensure your surface is clean, dry and free from oil, grease and any other contaminants.
• If the surface is dirty, wash it with a detergent solution and dry thoroughly before proceeding.
• Abrade the surface – when you abrade something you scratch or roughen it, increasing the surface area and enabling adhesives to key (grip) more powerfully.
• Abrading effectively increases the surface area by 35%, giving you a corresponding increase in bond strength.
• Clean with a non-residual cleaning solvent such as NovaBond Surface Cleaner to remove any dust and create an ideal bonding surface.

If you have any questions relating to your products, applications or indeed a specific customer requirement, please do not hesitate to ask your question in the form below…….or contact us at enquiries@innovasolutions.co.uk for further information.

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