When working with metal, there is a lot of labour involved, as well as tools that need to be used for various things – from soldering irons to Euromac bending machines like these https://www.cotswold-machinery-sales.co.uk/euromac-bending-machines/horizontal-bending-machines/ Popular Mechanics magazine recently reported on a ground-breaking new glue that may make soldering and welding a thing of the past.
Super Metallic Glue Could Replace Soldering and Welding in the Future
This amazing new development could revolutionise metal bonding adhesives and the way they are used, particularly in applications like soldering circuit boards, where one wrong move blows the electronics on the board.
Circuit Board Applications for the Glue
The glue can be used at room temperature to join metal pieces. When it solidifies, the bond can conduct heat and electrical current so there are a number of possible applications in electronics. The bond has the same strength as a traditional weld. One possible development might be that circuit parts could be packed more intensively onto a board, than is possible with the current soldering technology.
This amazing product works somewhat like Velcro. One component is put on one side of the bond – this contains nano “teeth”. The other component is put on the other side of the bond – this can receive the teeth. When you press both sides together, the teeth bite into the receptor, locking into place.
There is already a wide range of innovative adhesives available, but this product greatly extends the range of jobs that can be carried out by glueing components. Although you need to press the parts together to get the bond to work, you don’t need any heat. This means that the glue is far less likely to damage the sensitive components on a circuit board. It’s also a cheaper way to carry out the work and is safer for those who are employed to work on these applications.
Reducing the Need for Thermal Greases in Computers
The glue has a further possible use, in replacing the thermal greases that are used in some electronic jobs. For example, a computer’s Central Processing Unit tends to get hot, so it usually has a “heatsink” which is an electronic part that includes a fan and helps keep the processor cool. Using this glue, you can glue the CPU directly to the heatsink component, to improve the cooling process.
This product, MesoGlue, is still in the lab, but the commercial and domestic version is now in development, so watch out for it appearing online on a site that specialises in adhesives
How metal bonding adhesives hold parts together
Bonding metal with adhesive rather than heat is not a new idea. A bonding agent is any material that binds two or more parts together, and many metal adhesives come as two parts, a resin and a hardener, which react once mixed to form a permanent joint. Other products are designed to give a temporary hold, depending on the job.
Adhesives are used to add strength to metal assemblies and to stop parts moving when they are put under stress. Because they can be applied without a welding torch, they avoid the heat that welding and soldering bring to the workpiece.
Glued joints can also look cleaner. On frames made from aluminium sheet, for example, an adhesive bond leaves no weld bead, so the finished frame can look seamless while staying light.
Getting a strong bond with today’s metal glues
Until new formulas like this become widely available, many people already glue metal instead of soldering it. The two main choices are cyanoacrylate super glues and two part epoxy resins. Epoxy is more fiddly but gives the strongest bond. It is slow, though: even rapid versions take several minutes to grab and an hour or two to reach full strength, so the joint needs support while it sets.
Whichever glue you choose, preparation decides how well it holds. Both surfaces should be clean and dry, and lightly roughening them with wet and dry paper helps the adhesive grip. Avoid touching the cleaned surfaces with bare hands, because the grease from skin weakens the joint.
Use the right amount. Too much glue makes a messy joint that needs cleaning up, while too little gives a weak bond. With epoxy, mix equal amounts of the two parts thoroughly and use it straight away. Epoxy will fill small gaps, but super glue needs the parts to fit closely.
How industrial adhesives have improved
Adhesives have already begun to replace welding in some industries. Many car manufacturers now bond metal panels rather than weld them. It can be cheaper, and it can give greater structural strength with a lighter finished product.
Glue has often been passed over in the past because of long curing times, doubts about long-term strength, and worries about toxicity and the environment. Newer products tackle these problems. Some metal bonding adhesives are now made without the solvents that caused concern in older formulas. Others can fully cure across a wide range of temperatures, including room temperature, which removes the need for intense heat.
Solvent-free flexible sealants are also available, along with silicone sealants that combine the benefits of silicone with the speed of UV curing. For high-volume work, such as assembling medical needles and syringes, there are adhesives that bond glass, plastic and metal and set in seconds under UV light. As the technology develops, the range of uses for industrial glues will keep growing.