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