▷ Replace mechanical fasteners with 3M ™ VHB ™ tapes

As you know, at present technology is continuously evolving in almost any aspect and area of our lives. We are constantly seeing new products and devices, which surprise us with their fine, aesthetic designs, with almost invisible joints that put your imagination to work. This type of design is possible thanks to the continuous innovation in products, such as those that Fustier can offer you and that help us to provide you with solutions that allow you to create aesthetic, reliable, competitive and profitable designs.

Many of you already know about the existence of adhesive tapes to replace mechanical fastenings and you are also familiar with our 3M™ VHB™ tapes, which are undoubtedly thebest option for replacing screws, rivets and welding points on the market. With each application, acrylic tapes continue to prove that their strength, reliability, durability and quality outperform many other fastening and assembly methods, making them the preferred choice in many countries for a wide variety of industries.

Within this tape family, 3M™ has included a reference that makes it even more complete and provides new solutions for those substrates that are difficult to bond. We are talking about the new 3M™ VHB™ LSE tapes, a series that offers new and superior bonding performance on difficult substrates, such as PP, TPO, TPE and glass and carbon composite or gel-coated materials, as well as most polyester paints.

For all these reasons, today I would like to give you 5 reasons to replace mechanical fasteners with our 3M™ VHB™ and 3M™ VHB™ LSE double-sided tapes, in your joining applications,as well as provide you with some references, regardless of the industry you work in, that we at Fustier recommend.

Contents

1 Reasons to replace mechanical fastenings with 3M™ VHB™ tapes
2 ANY QUESTION?

Reasons to replace mechanical fastenings with 3M™ VHB™ tapes

Die-cut and easy to apply

3M™ VHB™ tapes can be customised and adapted to each application, as they can be cut into precise shapes and sizes, according to each of your joining needs. They are also easy to apply and assemble thanks to their pressure-sensitive adhesive that makes them a quick and clean solution.

Durability, sealing and impact resistance

3M™ VHB™ tapes have proven in countless applications for over 40 years their outstanding holding power on both static and dynamic surfaces. They withstand rain, sun, wind, cold or heat and stand the test of time. Thus, they offer great advantages over mechanical fasteners, preventing rust, deformation and leaks. They also feature great resistance to impact, due to their high formability, which allows them to expand and contract, while recovering their original shape, without affecting the joint. What is more, they also withstand temperatures up to 230ºC for short periods of time, which makes it possible to join materials, where it is necessary to apply powder or liquid paint beforehand.

Invisible joints and design flexibility

In addition to their strength and flexibility, 3M™ VHB™ tapes can be die-cut and form-fitted to precisely join device parts such as caps, lenses, screens, panels, etc.,hence affording the possibility to create, for example, sleeker, thinner designs for electronic devices or cleaner, smoother facades in construction and invisible joints between different materials without having to resort to unsightly traditional fastenings, thus expanding the range of possibilities for product designers.

3M VHB Tape Vs Mechanical Fasteners

Noise and vibration reduction

Due to their viscoelastic nature and high formability, these tapes absorb energy and stress without transferring them to the joint line, hence distributing them over the entire surface and making them highly resistant to fatigue, movement or impact, absorbing up to a 40% of noise and dissipating up to 30% of the vibrations generated.

Optimises production processes

Productivity in assembly plants can be increased thanks to the efficiency these tapes offer. Compared to riveting and welding, 3M™ VHB™ tapes are easier to process and require no finishing. They also require no curing time and can be used in pre-assembly processes, thus saving time and money within your production processes. Achieving durable joints is as quick and easy as applying tape.

As we promised at the beginning, below are 4 3M™ VHB™ tape references we recommend for their versatility and formability and that you can use regardless of your industry, as well as a video that visually summarises how our tapes work and the advantages they offer you. We hope you like it.

3M™ VHB™ 5925:It withstands hot, cold and cyclic temperatures, UV light, humidity, solvents and seals against climate conditions. It features a 0.6-mm thick modified acrylic black adhesive with a highly formable acrylic foam core that adheres to powder paints and uneven surfaces.

3M™ VHB™ 4905F-4910F:Their high transparency and formability make them ideal for joining semi-flexible or rigid transparent parts.

3M™ VHB™ 4941:It provides a uniform seal on uneven surfaces and, in visible joints under transparent materials, it offers an aesthetically improved bond line.

3M™ VHB™ LSE:The LSE series of 3M VHB tapes offers versatile performance at various temperatures on MSE and LSE surfaces, thus allowing for thermal expansion three times its thickness, and is therefore ideal for bonding different materials Available in 0.6 mm, 1.1 mm and 1.6 mm