Before modern adhesive technologists came up with advanced adhesives, engineers chose one of two methods: mechanical or thermal fastening. Today’s market demands, advanced materials and complex manufacturing requirements demand much more from manufacturers however.The adhesive industry has responded with innovative and highly effective methods to meet these increasing demands and complexities, while addressing some of the inadequacies of traditional fastening methods. Let’s look at some of the disadvantages of mechanical fasteners: lThey add weight lThey usually require holes that weaken components lThey leave very visible bond lines lThey carry all load at specific points, contributing to fatigue lThey do not separate dissimilar materials and that can cause corrosion Thermal fastening offers an alternative, but also has its disadvantages: lThe substrates must be thick enough lThey’re hard to disassemble, rework or repair lThe aesthetics aren’t perfect lThey require skilled labor and can pose a hazard to workers Combining adhesives and tapes with mechanical and thermal fastening methods or utilizing adhesives alone gives engineers a smorgasbord of options for attaching materials to one another while overcoming difficulties and adding key benefits: Adhesives and tapes allow for faster assembly lThey can be stronger than welds lThey are more flexible lThey bond and seal at the same time lThey can be used in small joint assemblies lThey can be used to laminate large surfaces lThey provide invisible bonds lThey automatically provide a sealed bond lThey can be used to fill voids lThey allow for the use of new, advanced materials that can’t be thermally or mechanically bonded Thanks to their many advantages, adhesives have become an important tool for bonding and solving complex joining problems across a wide variety of industries. Source:adhesives