RAPID BOND APPLICATIONS AT THE FAST EXHIBITION

Scott Bader's Crestabond rapid bond structural adhesive product, launched earlier this year, has found application in transportation and marine applications and will be illustrated by case studies featuring manufacturing companies which have benefited from specifying Crestomer structural adhesives. Crestabond M1-04 is a two component primer-less methacrylate structural adhesives has a 3-4 minutes working time and shorter fixture time of only 8-10 minutes, with no loss of bonding performance properties. Manufacturers can benefit from increased production efficiencies, especially for high volume assembly of parts using only an adhesive, needing reliable, long term adhesion. According to Scott Bader's test data, Crestabond grades will effectively bond composites, plastics, ABS, aluminium, stainless steel and many other substrates commonly used in industrial applications. All grades have been extensively tested and demonstrate excellent impact, peel, shear, compressive strength, fatigue resistance and high toughness properties in a variety of assembled parts, offering both bonding and gap-filling capabilities. The new 'rapid bond' Crestabond is expected to be of particular interest to automotive OEMs and tier one and tier two suppliers due to its combination of performance properties and productivity benefits. One of the new adhesive case studies being showcased at FAST is a truck body application. BL Searle, based in Sandy, Bedfordshire, now uses two grades of Crestabond in the production assembly areas for the GRP boxes and toolboxes fitted to a variety of its specialist commercial vehicle body designs: Crestabond M7-15 to bond aluminium faced Aalco panels to Zinc coated frame; Crestabond M1-05 to bond aluminium cappings to the aluminium Aalco panels around the toolbox assembly; Crestabond M1-05 and Crestabond M1-20 to bond aluminium and stainless steel to GRP body panels. According to business director, Stephen Searle, the reliable adhesion performance and versatility of Crestabond products has reduced assembly times by eliminating the need for more than 220 mechanical fastener heads, enabling BL Searle to produce lighter weight parts much faster and with cleaner lines to the bodywork for greater aesthetic appeal to end customers. Another new case study on the stand during FAST is about CTruk Boats, which is using the Lloyds and DNV approved Crystic Crestomer 1152PA urethane acrylate based structural adhesive. Located at Brightlingsea, Essex, CTruk Boats specialises in designing and building high speed composite, fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) catamaran style commercial, military and security workboats for demanding offshore applications. To further reduce weight, increase productivity and cut labour costs wherever possible, CTruk uses a structural adhesive for FRP-FRP joint bonding. Crystic Crestomer 1152PA is specified by the company for all its composite marine craft to structurally bond hull stringers and bulkheads, transom sections, engine beds and deck sections. For hull to deck joints the main deck beam, in spite of it being a high impact area, is joined only using Crystic Crestomer 1152PA, as well as some of the hull and deckhouse structural flange connections. The FAST Exhibition is a valuable resource for design engineering professionals seeking fastening and bonding answers, inspiration, ideas and solutions from the UK's leading fastening and bonding experts. To visit the show, pre-registration is essential. For full details go to www.fastenerexhibition.co.uk