Design for adhesively bonded assemblies

Adhesive bonding is a joining process in which a filler material is used to hold two or more
closely spaced parts together by surface attachment. The filler material is a non-metallic
substance, usually a polymer that binds the parts together in the adhesive. The parts being
joined are called adherents. The bond is prepared by placing a film of liquid or semi-liquid
adhesive between the parts and holding them together without disturbing until it solidifies.
Commonly used adhesives are available in a solid or molten state or as a pure liquid or
solution, are listed in Table M6.4.1.

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Under the listed situations, adhesive bonding is considered to be more appropriate than other
joining methods.

1. When restrictions on the weight of the finished assembly or the product is there

2. If the material is porous, fragile or sensitive to heat

3. When it is not possible to use any other joining method because of appearance

4. If it is required to provide sound deadening or gradually reducing vibration in the

finished assembly

5. If there is a possibility of galvanic corrosion due to the nature of material and

electrically insulation is required

6. If the materials to be joined are of different composition, thickness, or modulus

Adhesive bonding is not preferred if the strength requirement of the joint is very high or the
temperature variation is high. Further, adhesive bonding is used at places ranging from
minute electronic assemblies to large building panels. Commonly available adhesively
bonded assemblies are brake-band and brake-disk assemblies, helicopter blades, plywood and
wood furniture etc. Adhesives are also used to fasten name-plate, decorative appliance etc.
Typical adhesively bonded assemblies are shown in Figure M6.4.1.
Table M6.4.1: Typical Application Methods for Common Adhesives. (Source: Design for Manufacturability Handbook by James G Bralla, 2nd
Ed)

Application Solvents Epoxy Phenolic Silicone Polyesters Urethanes Vinyl Anaerobic Polyamide Cyano- Acrylics Ultraviolet or
Method Cements acrylate radiation
curing
Brush or spray x x x x x x x x x

Dry Film x x x
Hot melt x
Pressure x x
sensitive
Roller x x x x
Hand Pump x x x x x x x x x

Powered or x x x x x x x x
pressurized
dispensing
SUITABLE MATERIALS

Adhesive bonding can be used widely in almost all material except Teflon, polyethylene, and
polypropylene. Table M6.4.2 lists different materials that are commonly bonded with
adhesives along with various adhesives.

Table M6.4.2: Adhesives Commonly Used for Joining Various Materials.(Source: Design
for Manufacturability Handbook by James G Bralla, 2nd Ed)

Materials to be joined Adhesive

ABS Polyesters
Epoxy
Alpha-cyanoacrylate
Nitrile phenolic
Aluminum and its alloys Acrylics
UV/radiation curing adhesives
Epoxy
Epoxy-phenolic
Polyesters
Neoprene-phenolic
Brick Epoxy
Epoxy-phenolic
Polyesters
Ceramics Acrylics
Epoxy
Cellulose esters
Polyvinyl butyral
Chromium Epoxy
Concrete Polyesters
Epoxy
Copper and its alloys Polyesters
Epoxy
Polyamide
Polyhydroxy ether
Fluorocarbons Epoxy
Nitrile-phenolic
Silicone
Glass Epoxy
Acrylics
Epoxy-phenolic
UV/radiation curing adhesives
Polyvinyl butyral
DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Adhesive bonds resist shear, tensile, and compressive forces better than cleavage or
peel. Thus the designs shown in Figure M6.4.2 (a) are preferable to those of Figure
M6.4.2 (b).

2. Due to the stress concentration at bond ends, the area of overlap is not proportional to
the bond strength, except in pure tension and compression. Thus it is recommended to
keep a large overlap. In a joint having different coefficient of thermal expansion,
shear stresses can develop thus, it is always preferable to use materials having same
thermal expansion. Often adhesives fillers are added in order to control the thermal
expansion. Further, it is advisable not to use thick glue lines as they consume more
glue and have a higher chance of developing cracks. The typical thickness of an
adhesive layer is 25 m.

(a) (b)
Figure M6.4.2: Design for shear, tensile, and compressive stresses for adhesive joint

3. A surface should be properly cleaned before bonding.

4. Smooth surfaces are advisable as they are easy to get wet by a spreading liquid
adhesive.
5. A simple butt joint should be used in the absence of cleavage stresses. However, butt
joint can be modified to increase its resistance to cleavage failure (illustrated in Figure
M6.4.3).

Figure M6.4.3: Modified butt joint to increase resistance to cleavage failure.

Commonly used designs to minimize these stresses are shown in Figure M6.4.4.

Figure M6.4.4: Joint modifications to increase lap shear strengths.

6. In the case of corner joint, the design with least preparation (including handling) cost
is preferred. Commonly used corner joints involving members of varying thickness
are shown in Figure M6.4.5.
 Figure M6.4.5: Common corner-joint designs.

7. Corners are usually best handled with elbows. Figure M6.4.6 illustrates a number of
common techniques for joining rods and tubes using adhesives. The design that
requires the least machining and assembly time is considered to be the best.

Figure M6.4.6: Design for tubes and rods.