Adhesive or Mechanical Fastening in Aluminium Product Assembly?
When assembling aluminium parts, our expert team use mechanical jointing, mig and tig welding or advanced adhesive bonding. Each project is planned to provide the highest quality finish solutions. So, what are the advantages of adhesive or mechanical fastening in aluminium product assembly?
Mechanical Fastenings for Product Assembly
Rivets, screws, nuts and bolts have long been the easiest and most effective jointing method when assembling parts. They effectively connect multiple parts and provide a strong and reliable bond. Mechanical fastenings are durable, resist movement and have been widely used for applications exposed to harsh conditions.
With a dedicated and fully equipped assembly room, it is relatively quick to accurately mate aluminium extrusions with other parts using mechanical fastenings. These can include additional extrusions, sheet metal, glass, PCBs, ironmongery and electrical components. Minimal surface preparation is required and once fixed, they have immediate weight-bearing capacity.
Adhesives for Product Assembly
Advances in technology have made structural adhesives a viable alternative to mechanical fixings in many applications. This is sometimes referred to as chemical joining, as the process involves a chemical reaction. If you wish to learn more about the specific chemical properties, Intertronics has provided a detailed guide on structural adhesives.
When you drill into components for mechanical fixings, there is a risk of damage. What’s more, absolute accuracy and careful alignment are essential. However, with adhesive bonding, the components remain solid and it’s possible to make minor adjustments to perfectly position the parts before it cures.
A primary advantage is the dispersal of stress across the entire bonded area, rather than it being concentrated at the screw or rivet points. Equally important in many applications, adhesive bonding results in a lighter-weight product.
VHB tape comes under the adhesive banner. It’s essentially a super strong, double-sided tape that is effective for bonding materials including aluminium and glass. As with all adhesives, this results in invisible joints and a streamlined finish. We’ve seen all sorts of design possibilities open up when using adhesives or VHB tape that aren’t possible with mechanical fixings.
Custom Profiles Designed for Assembly
There is one other option that we recommend to customers. That is custom profiles for aluminium extrusions that are designed for assembly. When we work with customers from the design stage, we advise on profiles that incorporate fixings. These can be securely clipped together to reduce or remove the need for either mechanical fastenings or adhesive. This is often more cost and time-effective and offers a robust, long-term solution.
An added advantage of this option is that it’s straightforward to disassemble sections for design changes, remedial works or recycling at the end of use. Aluminium is 100% recyclable and without the need to remove adhesive or metal parts that could contaminate the process, this option simplifies waste management.
Why We Offer All Three Product Assembly Options
As part of our full-service solution, we offer all three of the product assembly options. This enables us to best meet the requirements of the customer, the product, the combination of materials and the application. For some projects, one solution is strongly advisable, in others, we may use more than one to achieve the best results.
Whichever method is used, we provide the partial or full assembly. That includes connecting aluminium extrusions and free-issue components for products including:
- Shop and office partitioning & furniture
- Automotive parts
- Solar panels
- Lighting fixtures
- Doors and windows
- Structural parts for prefabricated construction
Our assembly room is fully equipped and includes a 250kg overhead crane and vacuum glass lifter to safely move heavy and breakable elements.
Finishing Details in Aluminium Product Assembly
Paying attention to the finishing details is essential when attaching parts. Neat welding, colour-matched screws and air/water-tight joints are some of the steps taken to ensure a professional and fit-for-purpose finish. We can also powder coat parts and apply VHB tape to accent elements and it all happens on-site.
The assembled products are expertly packed, to include labelling and final fixing kits. These are delivered to customers or directly to site, depending on the project requirements.
From Profile Design to Product Assembly
Involving us from the outset is the best way to benefit from our knowledge, advice and in-house full-service solutions. We will tell you if there is a way to effectively reduce assembly processes with custom profile design. Let’s discuss the application, so we can advise on whether adhesive or mechanical fastening is recommended. Then trust our experienced team to provide comprehensive and professional aluminium product assembly.
Complete our enquiry form or call 01296 431292 to start the conversation.