Category: Case studies

It’s great when one of our loyal and longstanding customers is more than happy to write about the appreciation they have for one of our products.  Talking to us about how and why a particular product has been successful for them, and that they trust our product… it really does make being in this sticky business of adhesives and tapes all worthwhile!

Below we have an account from Luke Kelso, Operations Manager at Rubber Box Co Limited.

Why we trust CTA Adhesives

As the UK’s leading manufacturer of power distribution boxes, we supply the likes of F1, MotoGP, International Football, Rugby, the Commonwealth Games… our boxes were also part of the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. There is no question about it, we need products we can trust so we can confidently supply our power units effectively.

One product in particular that has stood the test of time for us is CTA 1135 Black Rubber Toughened Cyanoacrylate Adhesive.  When it comes to critical components for our products, we don’t take chances. For over sixteen years, we’ve trusted CTA’s adhesives exclusively, their performance has never let us down.

Our rubber boxes travel around the globe, in fact they are deployed to some very extreme environments, including harsh deserts in America.  We have used hundreds of units of adhesive from CTA and not a single bonded power box has ever failed.  In reliability engineering terms that is a zero-failure life test over sixteen years for us, that’s just how good it is.

How this high strength rubber adhesive works for us

We use CTA 1135 high strength rubber adhesive to bond two sections of our rugged boxes together as pictured here.  We also use the adhesive to attach the box handles also pictured below, some of the loads we deal with exceed 75kg and, as mentioned previously, not a single failure.  CTA 1135 is a high viscosity, fast curing, black, rubber toughened super adhesive, “super” being the standout word here.

Our rubber boxes are not just storage containers, they’re high performance, high-load, power distribution units and dependability is non-negotiable.  With CTA adhesives, we have found a product we can truly count on – strong, tough and proven to be effective across thousands of challenging uses.

Final words

“If you’re looking for industrial-grade performance you can trust year after year, CTA delivers.”

Luke Kelso, Operations Manager

And our reply…

“Thanks Luke, it’s always good to hear that our commitment to providing the right solution to a challenging bonding issue, is rewarded with your continued faith and custom.”

Mark Plimmer, Managing Director – CTA Industrial

There is something rather warm and comforting about incorporating natural brickwork into structures. Whether they are in your home or in the workplace for internal or external applications, their presence adds a certain essence of calm tactility – it looks fantastic too!

It stands to reason, therefore, that we at CTA were excited to be approached to be the adhesive solution provider for a client who was hoping to clad his home fireplace surround with brick slips, following a refurbishment. The customer was cladding around a log burner and was keen to use our higher temperature,  two-part adhesive CTA 2105. This is also ideal as a fast-setting option (5-10mins) and very easy to use. Don’t forget that CTA’s expert know-how is on the end of a phone, as well as in our how-to-use video.

What are ‘brick slips’?

Brick slips are simply a cleverly designed brick façade, crafted from real bricks. It’s almost as though a single brick has been sliced – like bread – and they are sometimes referred to as brick tiles or veneers. Brick Slips are a super-versatile resource as they can be applied on top of surfaces as opposed to having to be bedded in or ‘exposed’ from behind stucco, paint or plaster. Brick slips have the added benefit of being of lighter weight than traditional bricks, so they are easier to apply.

CTA have also supplied construction companies with CTA 12126 adhesive to enable the easy fixing of brick slips to the external walls of office blocks and even GRP/composite dormer window and chimney stacks. The CTA 12126 is a single component moisture curing adhesive which is quick to grab, strong and flexible.

You can see our image above shows what a stunning difference brick slips can make in the home. Here we see the flush plaster work of a fireplace on the right, and the application of brick slips in progress on the left.

We thought this story may be of interest as, at this time of year, you may still be looking to ‘refresh’ parts of your home and possibly use those dark cold evenings to do this!

How did CTA help?

We were able to offer our domestic client above, a choice of two alternative solutions. Firstly, was our ever-trusty 2105 two-parter. This is an excellent structural adhesive solution for high temperature applications, closely followed by our 12126 single part adhesive.

Whilst both are effective internally and externally, the 12126 has more flexibility owing to its longer setting time which is up to 24 hours, as opposed to the 2105’s rapid 10-minute window. As the fireplace above was an indoor project with very little interference expected from either nature or gravity, our client opted for our 2105 solution.

Sufficient bond strength should be achieved with either product as long as the installer ensures that the bricks are as clean and as dust free as possible. No special primer is required.

Once your bricks have been secured with our adhesive, it’s then down to you, to ‘point’ them to your own taste – recessed, flush, v-grooved or even coloured, it’s totally up to you.

Turning projects into reality

Following on from our success on industrial sites, we were able to turn our domestic client’s hope into reality and provide our 2105 adhesive to clad their beautiful fireplace with a warm, homely brick finish. At the other end of the structural scale, though just as important, the same CTA bonding solutions can be used on industrial projects such as offices, factories and units. Remember that our adhesives will ensure the safe, strong application of these brick slips both internally and externally.

Self build projects can also benefit vastly from our range of bespoke adhesives and tapes, so consider this when you want to move away from old fashioned, inefficient or costly fixings.

CTA 2105 and 12126 are the ideal bonding solutions for these projects because they are easy to use, ensure effective adhesion, work indoors and outdoors.

So, if you find yourself staring at your plain fireplace, wondering how to spruce it up, or are building or renovating a new building or industrial unit, have a think about the impact that ‘real’ bricks would have on your project, and then call us for your adhesive. We are that versatile!

CTA Industrial Ltd have a special relationship with Hernon because we are proud to be the UK and European distributor for Hernon Manufacturing Inc. Hernon is a world leader and innovator of high-performance adhesives and equipment and their products are internationally accredited, high quality, eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Hernon Manufacturing have exposed their processes to the most rigorous testing and review. Their adhesives are ISO certified, Military Specification and have approvals; ASTM, NSN, FDA, NSF, CID, UL and USDA. These certifications show that you’re getting the very best product for your manufacturing process or application.

New Hernon products

Well, in Hernon’s most recent articles for us-tech.com  they are telling us about one of their new products as well as giving us some food for thought on a new concept.  The new product they highlight is their Tuffbond 321, and the discussion point is around having bonding solutions custom made.

Hernon’s general purpose resin Tuffbond^® 321 is a flexible, low viscosity, general-purpose resin system used for casting, potting, and the encapsulating of electrical and electronic components. This unique flexible epoxy has been formulated to combine ease in handling with optimum physical, thermal and electrical insulation properties. Excellent for use as a potting epoxy. Other applications are with transformers, coils and chokes, solenoids and micro circuitry.

In other news, there is a discussion with regards to their R&D team formulating custom adhesives and sealants for high-reliability applications. This item explores the value of moving away from a ‘catch all’ solution to ‘customised adhesives’, which may be able to cut costs. Read more here (opens in a new window).

The need for customised adhesives

Will customised adhesives better serve the customer and reduce costs, or would one of their 5000 formulas be good enough? CTA can supply Hernon high quality sealants and adhesives including Fusionbond, Tuffbond, Dripstop, Nuts n Bolts, Ultrabond and Activator support products. Hernon’s renowned technologies include anaerobic, cyanoacrylate, epoxies, acrylics, methacrylates, UV visible cure, customised technologies and many more.

Here are CTA’s Managing Director Mark Plimmer’s comments on having custom-made solutions:

“This falls very much in line with our determination here at CTA to ensure we deliver the best solution for your adhesive needs, and we would be keen to hear your thoughts on the matter – especially if there are any applications we don’t seem to cater for yet.”

The perfect adhesive solution

Well, what all of this means is that between CTA and Hernon, you have definitely got the perfect adhesive solution.  Superb products, coupled with service, strength, safety, supply and support.

Professional values for our clients

CTA’s relationship with Hernon is founded not only on mutual respect and professional values, but also a determination to keep researching and innovating so that you, our valued customer, know that you have always bought the best.

For more information call CTA on 0044 (0)121 378 2909 or contact us here.

In this article, CTA’s Managing Director Mark Plimmer shares his thoughts as an expert.

“Having spent nearly 20 years in the bonding industry, I have become somewhat of an expert in how to bond two substrates together to achieve the best results possible, with regards to strength, effectiveness and ease of application. Recently, I have noticed a shift, moving away from the more traditional methods of bonding.  With confidence now building in this modern era, we can ensure reliable, lasting joint strength with industrial adhesives. Here are some of my thoughts and answers to some of the most common questions we see.”

What are the pros and cons of adhesive vs welding or traditional joining methods?

As you know, there are a variety of well-established means of joining two components together, including nuts and bolts, welding, rivets and screws. Here, I’ll focus on welding and compare it to using an adhesive (although we do supply a wide range of structural acrylic tapes and hook and loop tapes too).

Welding does not necessitate ‘curing’ time and is an instantaneous procedure whose component parts are generally not the subject of decay or shelf-life limitations. It does, however, require investment in some heavy-duty equipment, health & safety awareness and compliance, as well as likely training for the welders themselves. Welding will also require a period of preparation and tidy up, which will impact upon time and cost.

With adhesives, the danger is that the ‘mix’ can be misapplied. Adhesives are subject to shelf-life restrictions, but we consider this to be positive rather than a negative, as it ensures efficiency and effectiveness. Adhesives may be subject to environmental/temperature controls and attention must be paid to the correct surface preparation and bead length and density. However, adhesives DO banish the blight of unsightly fasteners or burnished metal, heat distortion and discolouration of joint. They can also reduce the likelihood of joint damage from vibration and can be viewed as a bonded gasket. Adhesives also have a broader application range as they can bond mixed substrates, materials of dissimilar thicknesses as well as wood, glass and plastics.

Adhesives also have the ability to eliminate stress concentration caused by spot welds, rivets, screws and other mechanical fasteners whilst maintaining surface integrity. Another big consideration is weight… the huge difference that the adhesive can make in this regard makes it such a viable solution for the aviation and automotive industries.

Finally, there is no risk of metal distortion or weakening due to weld heat when using adhesives.

Can you give me some examples of which industries are now using structural adhesives?

In short, everyone! New applications are being developed and tested daily. Reports from the agricultural industry show that workers are repairing metal fences using structural adhesives instead of welding. Marine industry manufacturers are bonding parts using structural adhesives in applications that require high resistance to chemicals like kerosene, hydrocarbon oil, mineral spirits, and ethylene glycol. The automotive industry is moving away from rivets in favour of structural adhesives due to a combination of corrosion resistance, stress relief and cost reduction. Aerospace engineers were among the earliest industries to adopt structural adhesives, mainly because adhesives can create seals that keep water out of metal fabrications while providing corrosion protection. The benefits of adhesive versus welding far outweigh the downfalls.

How do I make the change to adhesives?

All you need to do in the first instance is call to speak to myself (Mark) or Michelle at CTA to discuss your current welding or joining applications. Let us share our knowledge and expertise of how tapes and adhesives can be better and more cost-effective for you. When it’s time to change, you need the experts and here we are!

For more information call CTA on 0121 378 2909 to discuss your conversion from welding to adhesives or drop us your questions here

One of our clients, James Leadley, is a motor enthusiast with a passion to renovate vehicles. This means he is ideally placed to provide us with innovative research and automotive applications for some of our lesser-known products. Here he tells us how our black 3325 barrier tape helped to revitalise a much-loved 1957 MG sports car and solve an issue with galvanic corrosion.

How did this come about?

“The MGA is a two-door sports car, designed by Syd Enever, that was produced by the iconic British motoring brand MG from 1955 until 1962. The one that I was working on was 64 years old – built in 1957! One of the areas of issue was the doors, which were badly rotten. On first inspection I noticed the original door skin of the car needed to be mended because some of the aluminium had corroded where the steel touches the metal. Sadly, when I looked more closely, I thought they were beyond repair, so I made new skins and rebuilt the door frames. The issue of corrosion in this area is a common problem where outer aluminium panels have a metal framework.”

What did you need to do?

“As this is such a classic sports car, I had to make sure that I used repair materials that were enduring, effective and easy to apply. I do know of people who use cloth tape for similar repairs, and seam sealer over the flanges before they beat over them. However, the seam sealer is not my preferred method as it can sometimes be messy when beating over and compressing it. I was keen to try a solution did that not have the potential to ‘ooze’ or become unsightly, so I contacted Mark Plimmer at CTA for his expert advice. Mark assured me he would find something suitable, and later came back to me with the suggestion of black 3325 tape.”

How did you solve the problem?

“The car in question has an aluminium bonnet, boot and doors, all skimmed over a steel framework. During the post war era of construction that this car was made in, it was common practice that the aluminium was directly beaten over a bare steel surface, which would lead it vulnerable to potential corrosion problems, as was the case here. I decided to prime the panels with epoxy first and then use the CTA 3325 black tape which I could then beat over and trim to size with a regular Stanley blade.”James goes on to say “The tape is absolutely perfect! It is much stronger than I had expected and is exactly the right thickness and width, and very easy to trim with a blade afterwards. It worked like a dream! This method of combining the use of modern primers and paints with CTA’s tape should prevent the dreaded electrolysis of aluminium touching steel. It should now last another 64 years!”

Response from CTA Managing Director Mark Plimmer

“I’m really pleased that the 3325 tape worked so well for you, it’s always great to hear of new ways our CTA products can be of benefit to all industries no matter how large or small. We are finding that confidence in the strength and versatility of our tape range is growing because of success stories just like this. Thank you, James, I look forward to your next adhesive challenge!”

We have a great range of single- and double-sided tapes of differing widths and properties, all you have to do is try them! Take a look at our advanced aluminium adhesives that may interest you too. Call us today to see how our tapes and adhesives can be of benefit to your business, we’re waiting for your challenge.

Do you have any unusual solutions you have used CTA tapes or adhesives for? Drop us an email with your story.

As we are specialists in structural adhesives, one question we get asked a lot is “Is there a difference between ‘glue’ and ‘adhesive’?” so we thought we’d start with defining the differences between the two, before we look at CTA’s product versatility.

Whilst both terms are nouns, research shows that ‘glue’ is a hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides, that is used in solution as an adhesive.  However, ‘adhesive’ is a substance that provides or promotes adhesion (source: wikidiff.com). This means that ‘glue’ is generally created from natural plant and animal sources such as starch and dextrin from bones, hides, hoofs and horns, whereas adhesives tend to be chemically/synthetically made and can rely upon inter-reactions. You can also have natural glues such as rice and wheat pastes which cure primarily by loss of moisture.

How important is the right adhesive?

There is a huge global market in glues and adhesives, which is why it’s good to be able to have us – the experts – on hand to help you decide which one is right for your application.  Imagine how catastrophic it would be if the automotive industries that we work with ‘just guessed’ and got it wrong, or our sign makers didn’t know which adhesive they needed – you’d have unsafe cars and buckled brands all over the place!

Give me some examples of your versatility

You may have read on some of our previous blogs about the benefits of glass bonding and results of our stress test on steel substrates, but recently we were asked to provide a solution for a client’s kitchen renovation.  As part of this project, they wanted a quartz topped breakfast bar. For this we would need to affix a mahogany panel to the underside of the quartz bar top, turn it over and allow the quartz to be suspended across the fixed points with the mahogany layer underneath.  The mahogany weighed 50kg.  For such an expensive investment, we had to be certain that our solution was infallible, so we used our trusty two part structural adhesive 2605. Whilst this is regularly used in the bonding of aluminium, steel and engineered plastics together, we were fully confident it would work in this application – and as a clear adhesive that lasts a lifetime, it’s perfect.

An example of the use of our 2105 structural adhesive is in a cladding application for a client called Kingdom Facades who specialise in commercial and domestic rain screen cladding products.  Here the adhesive was used for both panel bonding and also as a stiffener on the top hat sections to prevent movement, as it’s so versatile it can fill gaps of up to 10mm.

Our 2206 structural adhesive has also recently been used in the automotive sector to repair a vehicle where we needed to bond an aluminium bracket to a composite of carbon fibre.  This was successful not only because of the speed of bonding and its strength, but also because of its black finish.

In Summary

Whether you are building a boat, cladding a building, laying artificial turf, or sealing space rockets, you need to remove the risk of failure.  We are finding that our customer base is expanding currently as confidence in our 2-part structural adhesives is growing, and faith is being built in their abilities. Selecting the right adhesive is a technical issue – you need to consider not only compatibility, but also the correct working time and fixing time, and whether you want a clear finish or not. Our fastening methods chart below clearly shows the benefits of adhesives compared to other fixing methods.

Call for more information today and use OUR expertise to benefit YOUR business. We provide bonds to last a lifetime. 0121 378 2909

How about this for a diverse application for CTA’s metal bonding adhesives?

James Leadley describes himself as an ‘eccentric’ former coach builder and sprayer. He states that being deprived of Lego as a child has led to his lifelong passion for working with his hands, on what he describes as “enormous lego”! He now spends 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in his workshop, designing, building, and restoring vehicles, mainly classic cars and mini coaches. Some he creates from scratch, whilst others he completely restores.

One such project was a 1920’s mini coach that he took from design to roadside – even making the wheels himself. Also, he cleverly crafted an Edwardian 1910 style tourer using an old Ford Transit milk float.

The point is, James loves to use ‘old school skills’ with a little modern technology to give these beautiful vehicles a second chance to delight and thrill both the public and collectors alike. One day he heard that it was possible to use adhesive as opposed to aluminium welding, for bonding aluminium panels. James began trawling the internet. Some products he found offered overnight curing times… “I might as well weld it” James thought as others he found ‘failed’ in their application too. Then he found Central Tapes & Adhesives’ website and his search on there took him to the Two Part Structural Adhesive 2105 product. “If it does what it promises, it could be perfect” thought James. He then rang CTA and found them to be technical, helpful and informative, so he placed his order. The adhesive was sent to him by courier, and almost immediately CTA 2105 was put through its paces on his current project, a beautiful Vortex GTR.

This particular Vortex GTR was created by an ex-Jaguar designer and originally built in 2004. James has been re-designing it for 12 years. One of the final touches, before returning the car to the road, was a rear aluminium spoiler. This is made in four pieces, and he decided to bond the studs and sections together using CTA’s 2105. James said

“This would have been very difficult to weld as it would be likely to distort. As the panel is enclosed, straightening it after welding would be impossible – you can’t ‘hammer and dolly’ it like in years gone by – so 2105 was the perfect solution. The working time was ideal and within half an hour the bits were all totally solid. Amazing speed. I have tried others, but this was so much better. When cured, this was easy to sand too, making it ideal for refinishing. In my line of work everything must be correct and appear traditional, but this modern deviation was incredible and saved lots of time and effort. I’m delighted with the results – I wish I’d found it years ago!”

Whilst James’ passion is for using traditional methods, this ‘deviation’ worked brilliantly without compromising the final product. He is convinced it is just as effective, if not more so.

“This is a fantastic product. In fact, it’s so versatile that I took it to Thailand to use it to restore some silk-spinning machines that were hundreds of years old. It was perfect! My next project is a 1929 Bentley, and I have absolutely no doubt that CTA will be involved!”

CTA describe themselves as “Technical Bonding Experts” and relish the opportunity to solve all your application issues. They will leave no challenge unsolved!

Call or email today to discover just how versatile CTA’s tapes and adhesives really are.

Support, care and backup – we’re here for you!

Having been embroiled in a global pandemic, now is the time for us to focus on recovery – and good news ‘business building’ stories in particular.

What support, care and backup are CTA offering?

Did you know that here at CTA we pride ourselves on being technical bonding experts? Not only do we have a vast range of safe, efficient and reliable products, but we also have a wealth of knowledge and a passion for problem solving. This means that we are able to offer one to one consultations to companies on the subject of adhesive and, in many cases, on-site support.

How does that benefit us?

The best way of showcasing CTA’s skills as experts is to hear from a company that have benefited from them. Here, we introduce Director Alan Taylor from Midlands Industrial Glass, one of the largest independent glass processors and manufacturers in Europe. He spoke to us about CTA’s superb support, care and back up.

“How long have you been working with CTA?”

Alan: “I’m surprised to learn that it’s been nine years!”

“What products do you use from CTA?”

Alan: “We use both tapes and two-part adhesives for our specialist glass requirements.”

“What other services do CTA provide?”

Alan: “We consider CTA to be our Consultants on adhesives. When we are faced with new applications, and demands from customers, we speak to Mark Plimmer. He will often come out to visit us on site in order that he can truly understand our issue and source the best product for the bonding challenge. This makes us feel that he is with us throughout every step of the process, offering great continuity and support to me and my staff. There is something rather comforting about having the expert on site with you, answering all our questions and visualising solutions so that we can pass that reassurance on to our customers. Some of our projects can be years in the making, so consistent support is essential. Also, if it’s impossible for CTA to solve our issue, they will put us in contact with someone who can – it’s such an honest relationship.”

“How has CTA helped during lockdown?”

Alan: “This has been an amazing period during our relationship. At a time when many employees were furloughed, CTA provided us with free face visors which staff members were able to use in conjunction with face masks. This enabled us to release more team members from furlough as they had to work in assembly processes of approximately 1 metre. The protective equipment brought peace of mind to those who used them, and the relief of being actively back at work was a great boost to many.”

“How would you sum up CTA’s service?”

Alan: “CTA are small enough to care, but large enough to give support. You can’t ask for more than that from your supplier.”

In summary

Alan: “We are specialists in glass, not adhesives. When faced with new challenges we call in the experts. In my mind, there is no-one better than CTA.”

We offer many glass bonding solutions. Popular products include 2105 structural adhesive, 6110 foamed acrylic tape, UV1 glass bevel bonder and other UV adhesives.

Contact us today and use OUR expertise to boost YOUR business.

Following a recent enquiry from a customer, we were asked if we could back up our claims that our 2206 structural adhesive was a versatile, strong and reliable bonding solution.  We did and we filmed it so you can see the results too!

What did you do?

To set up this demonstration we used a tensometer (also known as a Universal Testing Machine or UTM).  This is a device which is designed to test the tensile properties of a material and its tensile strength – the degree to which a product will stretch under stress – often to the point of breaking, or failure. The amount of stretch that a material has when it is under strain provides important information about the material’s tensile strength and fatigue strength. This is crucial to anyone who needs safe and successful bonding solutions. It is a fundamental engineering test.

What happened?

We correctly cleaned and prepared two steel strips, then applied an even bead of 2206 10:1 adhesive to the steel.  This was left for a fixture time of 15 minutes after which the bonded parts were left to dwell for 24 hours to achieve full strength prior to the tensile test.  They were then vertically loaded into our tensometer.  The machine gripped both ends of the joined parts, leaving the bonded section clear in the centre, and the tension test was started.  In just less than one minute, the machine had reached a point of 7.5 Newtons – and then the substrate failed!  Our 2206 adhesive remained firm, solid and reliable, but the steel strip broke!

What does this mean?

The Newton is the International System of Units derived unit of force. It is named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics and is the unit of measurement used by the tensometer.  In this test, at the point of 7.5 Newtons per mm², the substrate failed, but our 2206 bond held true. This certainly shows how strong our adhesive is!  However, it was only at half of its maximum potential, as CTA’s 2206 limit is an awesome 16 Newtons per mm².

Why would I use 2206?

The 2206 adhesive is excellent for bonding metal, most plastics, granite, marble and in the powder coating process, to name but a few.  It resists impact loads at both high and sub-zero temperatures and comes in both natural and black variants.

Do I have to buy lots?

Another feature of the 2206 adhesive, like many of our products, is that you can buy it in either the trial kit of 50ml, which comes with 2 cartridges, 4 nozzles and a manual applicator gun, or the larger 490ml and caulking applicator. This means that you can test our structural adhesives without committing to large quantities and you’ll have all the application tools you’ll need.

In summary

The strength test for our 2206 10:1 structural adhesive was recorded, and the short video gives a great visual display of its strength.  CTA pride themselves on being able to provide technical support and products capable of solving your bonding issues.

Call us on 0121 378 2909 to find out more or purchase below.

Buy 2206 structural adhesive here

Technical bonding solutions by CTA, based in the West Midlands, UK. Worldwide shipping.

CTA were asked to help a client who had a special automotive bonding request on this stunning supercar.

What was your brief from the client?

They wanted to strengthen the framework and bulkhead of this impressive Audi R8. The R8 is the German car maker’s only mid-engine machine which has gained a reputation in recent years for being “The everyday supercar”. It’s a high quality performance car that demands extreme structural integrity.

Our ‘mission’ was to reinforce the bulkhead near to the suspension components. The brackets themselves were supplied by Audi, so our task was to ensure that we could perfectly bond the two parts and create a high quality, effective reinforcement commensurate with such a prestige automotive product.

What product did you recommend and why?

CTA have a superb range of automotive adhesive and tapes suitable for many applications from panel and trim bonding to specific die cut tapes. Because of this, we had to make certain that we identified the best one for the Audi application. The adhesive would need to prove itself in a demanding metal to metal bonding application to reinforce the bulkhead near the suspension components. We immediately thought of our two-part structural adhesive 2105, as this is suitable for composites or metal brackets (such as cladding), and for GRP / FRP composite structures. For bonding metal to composites, 2105 obtains a higher shear strength than the composite layers, therefore achieving a structural bond between the metal and the composite panel. It is an excellent engineering and manufacturing adhesive. It also has a five-minute working life, a 12 minute fixing time, is capable of filling gaps up to 10mm whilst maintaining it’s structural strength and characteristics – and comes in a choice of a neutral or black finish!

The technical stuff that we love!

A methyl methacrylate is the methyl ester of methacrylate acid. Its primary use is to manufacture a number of different plastics, but it is also the main ingredient in our range of metal adhesive products.

Methacrylate adhesives are supplied in a two-part system that, when mixed, offer a controlled cure speed suited to the application. The cured adhesive can offer incredibly high tensile, shear and peel strength, whilst also resisting impact loads at both elevated and sub-zero temperatures.
The unique chemistry of our two-part structural adhesive 2105 is unrivalled in terms of convenience, ease of use and superior mechanical strength. Use for bonding engineered plastics, composites, steel, aluminium and other alloys. This is metal bonding glue at it’s best.

Client feedback

The feedback we received from the client was excellent and he told us that it was easy to apply following on from the preparation process. He told us:

“I just wanted to send you a couple of photos of the small project that I have had recently done using one of your products. The images are of frame reinforcing plates in aluminium attached to the front bulkhead of an Audi R8. The job went without a hitch and I am very pleased with the outcome. Thank you for all your guidance.”
Trevor Hartland

Lessons learned?

Although this was only a ‘small’ job, it still required our technical expertise and knowledge. As more and more clients challenge us with bonding application dilemmas, it cements our belief that our comprehensive range of products ideally support diverse challenges, regardless of whether the jobs are large or small. We pride ourselves on being ‘technical experts’, and welcome challenges such as this.

A powerful structural adhesive for the modern age

We knew that our CTA 2105 Structural Adhesive product would be perfect for this task. It’s a versatile product used in many industries and it lends itself well to automotive bonding requirements. To create a strong and reliable bond relies upon pristine preparation, so we talked our client through the cleaning and preparation process. We have a short instructional video here:

A walkthrough of the bonding process

We always recommend the use of our specially formulated CTA IPA Cleaner Degreaser to ensure that surfaces are clean, dry and free of any dirt, dust and grease. We also talked our client through the best working practice and how to maximise the potential of the adhesive. Here are the parts prepped ready for bonding:

The outline of the new part (provided by Audi) was marked to provide a guide for final location:

The end result was a professional reinforcement that is designed to last:

In summary…
Contact us with ALL your bonding application challenges – we are waiting to fix them for you! If you would benefit by switching to our more advanced structural adhesives and wish to discuss a product or application, please get in touch with us today.