CONVERTING NEWS
AND INSIGHTS

Are you looking for a strong and versatile adhesive to help get things done?

When inspiration hits like lightning, the result can be a cutting-edge electronics product. From smartphones to HDTV screens to marine navigation systems, electronics manufacturers rely on the thinnest products in 3M’s VHB portfolio to fit into electronic assemblies, places where thick VHBs cannot fit.

Electronic device engineers know space usually isn’t the only challenge. Modern electronics bonding solutions often must address impact resistance, waterproofing, heat resistance, and/or reworkability to create a device with reliable functionality. In addition to overall performance, some surfaces — paints, metals, low surface energy plastics — are hard to bond and require unique acrylic foam tapes such as 3M VHB tape.

When a spark of creativity results in devices optimized for the IoT, 5G, and beyond, specialized VHB tape is often needed as well. This article dives deeper into how pressure sensitive adhesive converters meet the high standards of the electronics industry today and into the future.

For decades, engineers have had to deal with the downsides of many permanent bonding materials:

• Screws, bolts, and mechanical fasteners significantly increase weight
• Rivets punch through a material, are uneven, and create vulnerable stress points
• Welding is time-consuming and disruptive in an otherwise efficient assembly process
• Liquid and spray adhesives are tedious, time-consuming, and messy
  
  

Permanent bonding projects take on various formats and requirements. The one thing true in all cases is the need for putting two items together so they don’t come apart. Regardless of how well the surfaces match or mismatch, they must be bonded to hold for the long term.

Welcome to the conclusion of our 3-part series on pressure sensitive adhesive tape. In Part 1, we discussed PSA’s performance and versatility, and Part 2 covered 3M™ VHB™ tape as a superior bonding solution.

Today, our topic is not PSA tape itself, but rather the importance of the adhesive converter that takes raw material and transforms it into a usable, valuable product. We’ve broken our exploration into four segments, each critically important to successful use of pressure sensitive adhesive tape.

NOTE: This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tape. Read Part 1 — which features PSA’s performance and versatility — in the Strouse blog. Also, check out Part 3 in the series on choosing a converter.

When it comes to bonding applications, there’s no shortage of options: screws, bolts, mechanical fasteners, rivets, welding, liquid adhesives, and more. We recently covered the history of bonding options; what adhesive bonding is and how it’s changed over time. Read that here.

Strict deadlines. Tight budgets. Performance demands. The pressure is on design engineers who face numerous challenges and decisions during every step of a project. One tough decision is selecting a bonding application solution.

Adhesive bonding is the process of bringing two or more surfaces together using a viscous substance. To select the right one, modern manufacturers need to consider the adhesive performance of each substance as well as any assembly advantages a solution may possess.

You've probably heard people say that tape is the solution to all of life's problems, and they're pretty much right. The right tape can fix any challenge that you throw its way and is quick to apply, so you can get back to doing your job. It's also very likely the solution you need at your company right now.