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UV Bonding FAQ - Adhesives
Q: Can I mix different UV adhesives?
A: No, in order to avoid undesired effects, mixing of adhesives should not be done. Mixing adhesives with different characteristics will negatively influence their performance.
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Q: Do I have to apply a lot of adhesive?
A: No. The adhesive distributes almost by itself, due to the weight of the bonding parts. However, after having worked 2 or 3 times with the UV bonding technology, you will have the right feeling for the correct quantity.
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Q: How do I remove excess adhesive?
A: If the excess adhesive is still wet, just wipe it off with a clean, lint-free paper towel and some glass cleaner (Iso-propanol or similar), and check that you have removed all excess glue before carrying on. If the excess adhesive has already cured and is hard, you will have to use a glass scraper as well as fine steel wool. Be careful, however, not to scratch the glass surface!
The best method to avoid hardened excess glue is to limit the quantity of adhesive (one usually tends to use more than necessary), and to cure the glue in two steps –primary curing (depending on the type of lamp between 10 and 30 seconds) will lead to a sufficient bonding strength, but leaves the excess glue still wet. Final curing (after removing the wet glue) will take another 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the type of lamp you are using.
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Q: Is there any guarantee?
A: Häfele America Co. guarantees the consistently satisfactory quality of the adhesive. However, as the quality of the bond depends on parameters, which are outside our control, any liability exceeding the replacement of faulty material must be rejected. This refers especially to any indirect or consequential loss, damages or expenses.
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Q: How long does a bottle of adhesive last?
A: Considering the recommended layer thickness and a normal waste factor (which can’t be avoided), a 20 ml bottle of adhesive will cover approximately 0.15 m². To which length of bonding edge this corresponds depends on the glass thickness and can be calculated accordingly.
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Q: Is the adhesive dangerous?
A: As with any other chemical, you should not swallow it or smear it in your eyes. Although it does no permanent harm, it is categorized as irritating. Persons who suffer from allergies might react to skin contact with the adhesives and are advised to use suitable gloves when working with UV adhesive.
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Q: Can I repair car windshields?
A: Although the adhesive used for that purpose belongs to the same group of chemicals, it has different characteristics. Häfele UV adhesive has been developed for structural and surface bonding and should not be used for any other purpose.
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Q: How big can the gap be?
A: The thickness of the adhesive layer is 0.4 mm with type B-682. The maximum acceptable gap is 0.5 mm, and even that might bear some risks.
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Q: Can I fill in gaps of irregular glass with it?
A: Generally, no. Due to the shrinkage factor (5-10% during the curing process), the adhesive layer must be as even as possible, because otherwise any irregularities will lead to tensions in either the adhesive or the glass, which will definitely result in breakage. Even if the bonded objects seem to be OK in the beginning – they might come apart even after a long period of time, sometimes months. The best way to prevent this is to have the glass cut and polished to the most exact specifications.
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Q: Is it OK to have the object outside?
A: In general, outside use is not recommended, as the adhesive is not waterproof. Should exterior use be desired, the bonding surfaces must additionally be sealed with clear silicone.
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Q: Does the adhesive work in extreme temperatures?
A: Depending on the type, the adhesives are temperature resistant from –40°F up to approx. 284ºF.
In order to obtain a durably stable bond, it is important to heat parts prior to bonding in order to remove any invisible moisture. All bonding parts must be slowly and evenly heated to avoid any tension build-up in the later bond.
- Temperature: approx. 86°F above room temperature
- Use hot air unit or blow dryer
- Parts and adhesive should be at room temperature.
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Q: How must the parts be prepared prior to gluing?
A:
- Bonding surfaces must be absolutely clean, free of grease and dry.
- Use appropriate cleaners when UV bonding (Common glass cleaners are in most cases not suitable.)
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Q: Can I disassemble the object if I make a mistake?
A: Only with some difficulty. Although the adhesive comes off at high temperatures (>356ºF), it is not easy to heat the glass parts evenly so that they don’t crack. With some experience, however, and the right equipment (hot air blower/paint stripper) it is possible. Obviously, it is much easier with small bonding surfaces (e.g. bonded glass edges) than with large parts bonded flat onto each other.
As it is a time-consuming process, you should calculate the value of the bonded object against the labor cost involved – often it is cheaper to start all over again with new material.
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Q: How do I apply the adhesive?
A: Evenly and in just a small quantity. It is recommended to use an application needle, which will make dispensing the adhesive a clean and easy task. – in addition it saves quite a lot of glue! For further information, please see the instruction leaflet provided with each bottle of adhesive.
In case of industrial application, professional dispensing systems are available – Contact Hafele America Co. for more information.
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Q: Can I build aquariums with the adhesive?
A: No. The glass panes of an aquarium are never allowed to touch each other, as the movement of the water (vibrations from filter pump, fish movements, transfer of vibrations from persons passing by etc.) would lead to the self-destruction of the glass. The (thin) adhesive layer would not be sufficient to prevent the glass panes from direct contact and is not elastic enough to absorb the forces, which may occur.
In addition, UV adhesives are not completely waterproof, so that after some time the water will penetrate the bonding area and the bonded object might come apart. For aquariums, only special silicone may be used.
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Q: What is the shelf life of the adhesive?
A: Provided that it is stored correctly (cool, dark and dry), shelf life is 12 months from date of manufacture (on label) and 6 months after first opening the bottle.
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Q: Will the adhesive lose strength when it gets older?
A: No, if all steps of the bonding process have been carried out correctly.
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Q: How do I know that I have reached final bond strength?
A: See curing times (below). When starting UV bonding, conduct tests in order to gain experience.
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Q: How fast does the adhesive cure?
A: Depending on the output of the UV-lamp used, between 1 and 5 minutes. By pre-curing a working strength (approx. 70 % of the final strength) is achieved. At this stage, excess adhesive outside the bonding surface can easily be removed. After the final curing the bond is fully functional and can be put under load.
- Pre-curing takes between 10 seconds to approx. 2 minutes, depending on type and efficiency of the lamp.
- Exposing the bond longer than necessary to UV light does not have any negative effect, but does not improve the bond either.
- After pre-curing, remove any positioning devices and clean object from possible adhesive residues. (Use glass scraper or steel wool)
- End-curing the bond: expose for between 60 seconds to approx. 5 minutes depending on the type of lamp.
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Q: How strong is the adhesive?
A: Assuming every step of the bonding process has been carried out correctly the bond will be stronger than the glass itself. The tensile/shear strength of the B-682 is approx. 572lbs./cm².
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Q: What adhesive do I use?
A: Häfele America Co. has chosen the proven Bohle B-682 adhesive for glass-to-metal bonding. However, some exceptions apply, and there may be applications, which require special consideration. Please carefully read the characteristics and possible applications in the product description.
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