There are a variety of electronic assembly applications that can be bonded with adhesives. From enclosures, to batteries to component bonding, each application will likely have slightly different demands. Some of the added benefits of using adhesives over traditional securement methods, include added impact and water resistance, the ability to bond to difficult surfaces and an improvement in a device’s overall aesthetics.
With devices becoming more compact and transportable, there is a much greater possibility for devices to be accidentally dropped. 3M tapes can help limit damage caused in these situations by providing both impact and vibration resistance while absorbing energy at the same time. Products to consider include:
| Prooduct | Description | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 3M™ VHB™ Tape 4914 | 10 mil white 3M VHB foam tape | Use on glass, metal or other higher energy surfaces. Provides a virtually invisible, high strength seal |
| 3M™ Double Coated Tape 96042 | 3M Silicone Adhesive coated on both sides of a PET carrier. 5 mils in total thickness | Provides high strength bond to most silicones foams and rubbers aiding in vibration damping applications |
Damage due to exposure to the elements is also a leading contributor in electronic device failures. For instance, exposure to water and/or humidity can cause corrosion or chemical reactions between metals and circuits boards leading to device failure over time. 3M has a variety of products that conform and seal to help limit exposure to the elements.
| Prooduct | Description | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 3M™ VHB 5908 | 10 mil , black 3M VHB foam tape | For use on metal, glass and powder coated paints. This conformable tape provides a seal between irregular surfaces |
| 3M™ Adhesive Transfer tape 9472LE | 5 mil, 3M™ 300 LSE acrylic adhesive transfer tape | Provides high adhesion and anti-lifting properties to low surface energy substrates while also providing moisture and humidity resistance. |
| 3M™ Double Coated Tape 9495MP and 9495B | 5 mil, 3M™ 200MP double coated tape | Available with either a clear (9495MP) or black (9495B) polyester carrier. Used to provide thermal and sound damping in assemblies. Also widely used in gasket and lens attachment applications |
Some materials used in electronics assembly applications are easier to bond to than others but good design practices can help avoid failures. With a wider range of plastics and other hard to bond to surfaces being used than ever before, 3M has developed tapes to stick to a variety of surfaces including low surface energy plastics and silicone.
| Prooduct | Description | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 3M™ Double Coated Tape 93005LE | 2 mil, 3M™ 300LSE acrylic adhesive. *3M’s thinnest double coated tape | Bonds to dissimilar surfaces while providing excellent anti-lifting properties. A carrier provides extra stability for die cutting and processing |
| 3M™ Silicone Laminating Adhesive Transfer Tape 91022 | 2 mil, 3M Silicone Adhesive | Designed for adhering to silicone foams or elastomers. 2 mil PET adds stability for processing |
| 3M™ Silicone Double Coated Tape 96042 | 3M Silicone Adhesive coated on both sides of a PET carrier. 5 mils in total thickness | Provides quick stick to most silicones and difficult to bond to surfaces, including silicone foam and rubbers. |
| 3M™ Double Coated Tape 9731 | Differential double tape with 3M Silicone Adhesive on one side of 1 mil PET carrier and 3M™ Adhesive 350 on the other | The silicone side adheres well to silicone surfaces while the acrylic side provide high adhesion to a variety of other surfaces. |
| 3M™ VHB Tape LSE Series | 24, 43 and 63 mil 3M™ VHB™ LSE double-sided acrylic foam tapes | Designed specifically for hard to bond to, low surface energy substrates without the need for a primer. |
Arguably, one of the biggest advantages of using adhesives to bond over traditional fasteners such as screws and rivets is an improvement in a device’s overall aesthetics. Besides providing a clean bond line, the use of 3M materials also helps reduce the weight and bulk of traditional fastening materials which has become an increasing design trend in electronics assembly applications. Costly tooling steps, such as welding, can also be avoided while processing speeds are increased.
Contact Tekra today at 1-800-448-3572 to discuss your unique electronics bonding application.
