Addressing assembly challenges with ultra-performance instant adhesive

New to the Henkel range is Loctite 402, an instant, high strength adhesive whose features and benefits are designed to help address industry challenges such as productivity, reliability and design diversification.

The Loctite Instant Component Bonding range addresses many of the design and assembly challenges faced by manufacturers in their quest to pioneer new products that are innovative, reliable and profitable. Loctite 402 builds on this foundation with even faster fixture speed, superior heat performance and a patented formula with upgraded health and safety credentials (formulated without the addition of traditional stabilisers such as HQ and MMBP).

Henkel says Loctite 402 develops handling strength twice as fast on most substrates by comparison with selected other assembly solutions (3 – 10 seconds), and so provides an elevated level of performance that meets the demands of modern manufacturing. This fast fixture speed, achieved at room temperature, helps increase throughput and reduces work-in-progress (WIP) for both manual and automated assembly. Productivity can be increased further with a comprehensive range of Loctite manual, semi-automated to fully automated dispensing equipment that is easily integrated into most production lines.

Loctite 402 is a single-component instant adhesive that bonds most metals, plastics and elastomers as well as hard-to-bond materials with the use of a primer. It gives users a single solution for multiple materials and components which helps reduce assembly costs, process complexity and WIP.

Even in extreme conditions, Loctite 402 delivers more reliable performance compared to many traditional instant adhesives. It demonstrates strength retention on most metals up to 135°C, which is a benefit, for example, for end-products whose power supply and connectivity generate a lot of heat. Improved impact resistance is another feature of this adhesive compared with traditional instant adhesives.

Henkel says Loctite 402 also sets an important new health and safety milestone for instant adhesives. Its patented formula contains alternative raw materials that support the enhancement of worker and workplace safety. Several instant adhesive ingredients have come under greater regulatory scrutiny in select regions of the world. Two of these are hydroquinone (HQ) and 2.2’-methylenebis (4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol) – also known as MMBP – whose primary role is to ensure the adhesive remains liquid in the bottle for the duration of its shelf life.

In response to regulatory change requirements and industry demand for safer assembly solutions, Henkel has exchanged certain raw materials in selected products in its LOCTITE range of Instant Adhesives. Although these raw materials were present in very small amounts in the original formulations, Henkel developed a novel stabiliser package which has allowed HQ and MMBP to be removed from the formulas for the most widely used instant adhesive products.

Henkel asserts that this health and safety breakthrough, in combination with the other technical advancements, make Loctite 402 a desirable alternative to other fastening methods in an even greater number of manufacturing environments.