Лако-красочные материалы — производство

Andrew G. Bachmann

Dymax Corporation, Torrington, Connecticut, U. S.A.

I. INTRODUCTION

It is axiomatic that manufacturing productivity is increased and per unit cost is decreased by making assembly and automation processes more efficient. High-quality parts further lower costs by reducing rework and replacement liability costs. Environmental conscious­ness and regulatory compliance have become a permanent and increasing component of assembly costs.

Aerobic adhesives cure rapidly to form tough, durable bondlines with structural strength. They also produce highly adhesive protective coatings, sealants, and pottings at the place and speed required by the assembly process. Overall economic efficiency is improved because:

The complete lack of solvents allows easy compliance with environmental and worker safety regulations.

Aerobic adhesives improve productivity of automated assembly processes by curing ‘‘instantly,’’ but only on demand.

Profitability is increased by substantially eliminating the time delay between assembly and quality control procedures.

Tough, durable bond lines reduce replacement and liability costs.

Defined in very broad terms, most manufactured items are assembled by using:

Press or snap fits

Mechanical fasteners (screws, rivets, welding)

Chemical fasteners (adhesives)

‘‘Aerobic’’ adhesives were developed as an advance over anaerobic and cyanoacry­late adhesives. Anaerobic (threadblocking) adhesives are used to augment mechanical fasteners such as screws, bolts, or press-fits. Cyanoacrylates tend to be used for nondurable bonding on rigid surfaces and for durable rubber bonding.

Aerobic adhesives, on the other hand, were designed to be used as the sole attachment device. They are as fast as many ‘‘instant glues’’ yet durable enough to be considered a ‘‘chemical fastener,’’ replacing the need for mechanical fasteners, in many instances.

Chemical fasteners must be designed to meet the requirements of the assembly, the process, and environmental protection and worker safety.

Adhesives and sealants designed to complement and enhance all three stand the best chance of offering equipment designers and manufacturers the highest quality at the lowest per unit cost.

In addition, the twin challenges of increasing global competition and heightened environmental quality awareness mandate that manufacturers replace the commonly used, but simplistic, price per pound decision calculation with an in-depth understanding of the factors associated with obtaining the highest-quality product, the most efficient process, and having the least environmental impact.

Aerobic acrylic ultraviolet (UV) and activator curing adhesives were developed with the idea of meeting the requirements of maintaining or increasing product and environ­mental quality while delivering the ultimate in process efficiency.