In this article we ?rst look at the bene?ts of composite materials and why they have become so popular, as well as the challenges of joining composite materials together and the advantages that adhesives and tapes have over traditional metal fasteners. We also explore advice on choosing the right adhesive to use and what parameters to consider as well as comparing some of the new adhesives that are being used to bond composite materials, whilst evaluating the advantages some chemistries have over others.
We also detail two recent Case Studies where Techsil has worked with manufacturers using carbon fiber composite parts in their product assemblies to overcome challenges in bonding their parts together. The first using a clear epoxy to provide an extremely strong butt joint between two carbon fiber parts. The second using a black epoxy to pot anchor points in a carbon fiber part to allow the component to be easily drilled and tapped so that metal fasteners could be used at the joints.
Composites are two or more materials with very different physical or chemical properties combined in such a way to give properties superior to those of the constituent elements. Many types of plastics can be reinforced often with fibers and this combination can produce some of the strongest materials for their weight that technology has ever developed…and the most versatile.
