Among the products offered by Testa & C. for bonding, one of the highest-performing is 3M VHB Max Double-Sided Tape. It is an acrylic foam tape designed to replace traditional mechanical fastening systems, certain types of welding, and liquid adhesives in applications requiring extreme strength. “With a shear strength of up to 3.24 MPa – explains Nicola Mella, owner of Testa & C. – it is the strongest acrylic foam tape in the 3M VHB tape range: it provides twice the bond strength of standard 3M VHB tapes, making it ideal for applications requiring extreme strength. In the appliance sector, in particular, it can be effectively used to secure handles, doors, front panels, touch panels and decorative parts on washing machines, ovens and refrigerators.
3M VHB Max Double-Sided Tape is easy-to-use: it allows for greater design flexibility and can offer cost savings due to the smaller total bonding area required to achieve the same strength performance. Besides, in order to ensure maximum bond strength on various surfaces and under different environmental conditions, the tape can be used with 3M VHB Tape Max Adhesion Promoter”. Another plus of the product is that the pressure-sensitive adhesive bonds on contact to provide immediate handling strength. This enables faster assembly and processing times compared to liquid adhesives.
For high-temperature and high-humidity applications
3M Scotch-Weld Structural Adhesive DP8910NS is a two-component acrylic adhesive with a 10:1 mix ratio. It is low-odor, black in color, and non-sag. It has been specifically formulated for bonding nylon (polyamides) without the need for surface pre-treatment, as well as for bonding steel, aluminum, composites, and many common plastics. The fact that surface preparation is minimal offers the advantage of reducing costs and preparation time.
“This versatile adhesive – says Nicola Mella – cures rapidly at room temperature, helping to improve assembly speed and overall productivity. Once cured, it maintains structural strength at temperatures up to 85°C and offers excellent resistance to humidity, making it ideal for high-temperature and high-humidity applications where high-performance substrates such as nylon are commonly used. Besides, the adhesive guarantees high flexibility (79% elongation) and offers a working time of up to 16 minutes”. Among its various applications, this product can be used for anchoring, bonding, mounting and assembling small joints in household appliances.
A single adhesive for multiple shapes and dissimilar materials
Efficient and versatile for automated bonding processes, 3M VHB Extrudable Tape GP is a high-strength, pressure-sensitive extrudable adhesive. “It provides excellent adhesion – states Nicola Mella – to metals, glass, rubber, low surface energy (LSE) plastics, fabrics, nonwoven materials and other difficult-to-bond substrates, including lightly oily surfaces. In some cases, the adhesion can be achieved with little to no surface preparation. The product also features an extended release function that allows for clean adhesive removal during rework. This extrudable tape can be applied in variable widths and thicknesses, making it suitable for complex geometries and tight corners without wrinkling or gaps, while also providing effective air and water sealing”.
The product offers the advantage of using a single adhesive for multiple shapes and dissimilar materials. Besides, it ensures an immediate handling strength, eliminating the need for intermediate storage areas. Finally, there are many possible applications, including the attachment of front panels in household appliances (e.g., washing machines, refrigerators); assembly of displays and user interfaces; bonding of seals and internal appliance components etc.
