Pratley SP020® is a sophisticated third-generation acrylic adhesive suited for demanding industrial, aerospace and assembly applications. “Pratley SP020® is the ideal replacement for spot welds and rivets,” highlights Pratley Adhesives Marketing Manager Mark Bell.

Pratley SP020® will bond nearly all metals, ceramics, most thermoplastics, most thermoset plastics and most plastic composites like fibreglass polyester composites. Typical application sectors include automotive, where Pratley SP020® can be used to join thermoplastic assemblies like bumpers and dashboards. It can also join steel or aluminium truck body skins to the ‘top hat’ section stiffeners without stress-raising rivets or welds.

In the electronics sector, Pratley SP020® can fix magnets to loudspeakers and motors. With boat and model aircraft building, it speeds up fibreglass and aluminium component assembly and simplifies production. Some other typical applications include:

• Precision assembly of sheet metal or sheet aluminium
• Assemble signboards
• Assemble panels and reinforcement frames
• Replace spot welding with bonded bead line
• Replace riveted parts with bonded bead line
• Assemble fibreglass boat parts

Special performance properties of Pratley SP020® include high peel strength, fast cure, toughness, choice between ‘mix’ and ‘no mix’ application, impact resistance, bonds most plastics, no primer required, bonds oily surfaces, easy application on production lines, exceptional oil and paraffin resistance and extremely tolerant of malproportioning.

Before applying Pratley SP020®, clean the surface by lightly abrading or scouring to remove any dust and rust. Removal of any oil is not necessary but does improve the bond strength. For the ‘mix’ method, squeeze out equal quantities from each tube onto one surface and mix with a spatula. This method is suitable if less than 4 g of adhesive is used.

Alternatively, for the ‘no mix’ method, place a blob or bead of Part A onto one surface and an equal sized blob or bead of Part B onto the other surface, taking care not to smear it. This method is recommended if quantities over 4 g are used, which give off excessive heat if mixed.

Bring the surfaces together with a sliding action to mix and spread the adhesive, which can be done within two minutes when using the ‘mix’ method. Adjust the substrates to the desired position and apply pressure with weights or clamps. “Applying the ‘mix’ method will generally improve strength. However, it is often much more convenient to apply the ‘no-mix’ method especially in a production environment,” concludes Bell.