Glueing

Function

The use of adhesives (bonding) has many advantages in the motor industry. Compared with welding, it causes no material distortion and expensive equipment is not necessary. Also the bonded area needs no careful examination for possible accident causes and parts which are sensitive to heat need no dismantling. Particularly in the car body area the use of adhesives has asserted itself, e.g., due to the bonding of front and rear windscreens the design of cars has changed in leaps and bounds.

The disadvantage of adhesives is the more expensive preparation of the adhesive area and the sensitive reaction to certain operational demands. The glued seams react sensitively to temperature, tension and particularly to peeling.

How it works

Gluing belongs to the category of "positive substance" jointing. A distinction is drawn between the cohesive forces, (lat. cohaerere = joined together) for the cohesion of the adhesive layer (the material) and the adhesive forces, (lat. adhaerere = clinging) for the bonding with other materials. Of course both forces must be as equally high as possible. The adhesion area must be large enough and suitably prepared to cope with the transference of the forces applied. 07/08