On one hand, we have rivets, bolts, and welds—methods that clearly show how they work. These are mechanical technologies we understand very well and have used for a long time. There's no need for an explanation on how to fasten a bolt or how this mechanism holds two metal pieces together. Moreover, we're accustomed to seeing ships, buildings, and even bridges held together by large bolts, and we take for granted that metals can be joined through welding. Because of all these reasons, we tend naturally towards mechanical fastening solutions, which are known and "simple." Yet, despite this, we know that in many industrial sectors, for various needs, rivets, bolts, and welding have often been replaced by structural adhesives. These glues have become the default solution for bonding metals, plastics, and many other materials because of their numerous advantages, such as increased lightweight, instant bonding, no pre-drilling required, clean aesthetics, and more. These points could also apply to high-performance tapes, not just structural adhesives. Still, the question remains: do structural adhesives really work? Are they strong enough to replace rivets, bolts, and welding in your company? Let's find out.
A Quick Overview of Structural Adhesives
We've already touched on what structural adhesives are, so here we'll be more concise. In short, structural adhesives can be described as extremely strong glues. Qualitatively, a structural adhesive is one that creates a bond as strong as the materials it's joining. But when it comes to strength, performance, and safety, qualitative definitions may not be enough. That’s why, in the United States, adhesives are considered structural if they have a shear strength of over 7 megapascals. In Europe, the standard is even higher, with structural adhesives defined as those with a shear strength of at least 10 megapascals.
Typically, structural adhesives are liquid, thermosetting, but there are several variations. It should also be noted that these aren’t new products. In fact, they’ve been around for decades. For example, 3M introduced the first neoprene-based contact adhesive in 1942, and in the 1960s launched the first flexible structural epoxy adhesive, as well as the first sprayable liquid adhesive. So, structural adhesives are a well-established and standardized solution. Let’s now look at how effective they really are.
Do Structural Adhesives Really Work? Here Are the Test Results
To understand how and how well structural adhesives work, there’s nothing better than comparing them with traditional fastening methods that they are sometimes meant to replace.
The most important measure of a fastening solution's strength is the previously mentioned overlap shear strength. Which solution—spot welding, seam welding, rivets, bolts, or structural adhesives—provides the highest strength? Well, at the bottom of the list, with the worst results, are rivets. They are cheap, quick to use, but don't offer much in terms of design flexibility or aesthetic appeal. Then come bolts, which, like rivets, can provide high strength at the point of installation but cannot work across the entire surface. Slightly better is spot welding, but it still only works at specific points. The two methods that offer the highest overlap shear strength are seam welding and structural adhesives, which can perform up to three times better than rivets.
For Every Application
Numbers in hand, structural adhesives work, often as well as or even better than traditional fastening methods. They can be used in a wide range of applications: for bonding metals, plastics, and composites; for both rigid and flexible surfaces; for withstanding extremely high or low temperatures, and much more. We invite you to explore the best structural adhesives available in our online store to find the one that suits your business operations best!
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