Adhesive Bonding Versus Welding

When you consider adhesive bonding versus welding for securing your parts, strict specifications must be met while controlling the total cost. Switching over to a new joining process requires addressing many issues, including safety concerns, excessive down time, structural integrity, and structural degradation, as well as your overall manufacturing process.

Adhesive is the new kid on the block for many metal fabricators. The older adhesives weren’t ideal for bonding metal to metal, but newer adhesive types have proven their worth as a viable adhesive bonding option.

Here’s a comparison of the advantages of traditional welding to adhesive bonding’s newest technology:

Welding Advantages

• No curing time needed in production process
• Instantaneous procedure
• Strong bond even at high temperatures
• Flexibility with attachment location, including large objects with small welding areas
• No shelf life or monitoring of storage time necessary

Adhesive Advantages

• May reduce stress concentration points
• No distorting or discoloring of thin metals
• Won’t destroy galvanized coatings or cause corrosion
• Gives a one-step seal and bond process
• Joins dissimilar materials
• Minor joint design changes to accommodate surface contact
• Assembly of different masses and dimensions
• Joins irregular shaped surfaces with minimal alteration to part dimensions
• Gives increased fatigue strength by distributing stress across bonded area
• Improved finished appearance
• Training of workforce is less costly
• Ideal for high-volume applications
• Little or no post-process cleanup

Making the change from welding to adhesive bonding requires a comprehensive view of your bonding needs. Consider how your overall manufacturing time can be reduced with adhesive bonding by analyzing your processes.

Can you switch over to adhesive bonding with only procedural and part-flow changes? Will a change in joint geometry design pay off? If a change in your joining process improves efficiency and quality, and reduces overall manufacturing time, it’s worth the effort to switch from welding to adhesive bonding.

Your goal of cost savings and production efficiency requires choosing the most effective material for your adhesive bonding needs. Consult with your special processes provider for help with the right adhesive technology. PTI Industries offers high-tech adhesive bonding as part of a one-stop experience for all your special processes.