Transparent fastening: the best invisible adhesives
The choice of the best adhesive to use should be made keeping in mind many different factors each time. First of all, it should be noted that the different adhesive products are made taking into account their concrete use, which leads to the creation of completely different tools: just think of the difference between canvas tape and paper tape: adhesive tapes that, indeed, have totally different use cases. Moreover, different adhesives are manufactured keeping in mind the peculiarities of different materials. Some are designed for plastics, others for wood, others yet for metal, based on the type of surface, its surface energy, and so on. In addition, there are adhesives which only work at average temperatures, and others made specifically to ensure a seal even at extreme temperatures. Some have very low thickness, others require a few millimetres of it at least; some are extendable, others are static; some can be easily removed, others require special procedures to do so; some are in simple tape form, others are manufactured as double-sided tape rolls, others are made as transfer tape, others in sheet form, others are liquid, and so on. And these are just some of the needs which adhesives are expected meet! A particular need, for example, is that of transparent fastening, i.e. fastening two surfaces, at least one of which transparent, without compromising the final aesthetic result. What types of invisible adhesives are available in these cases?
The advantages of using adhesives
Before having a look at what the different types of invisible adhesives which can be applied when in need of a transparent fastening are, it is best to underline what the advantages of adhesive fastening products compared to classical and mechanical methods are. First of all, in this specific case, invisible adhesives are the only ones which make it possible to achieve an effective and, at the same, transparent fastening: punctures, screws, rivets, nails, and other methods do not allow for anything similar. In general, by using adhesives it is possible to obtain full freedom in terms of design, without any visible hardware or welding. It should also be noted that double-sided adhesive tapes are very light, and that they allow for very fast fastening times, without requiring any noisy or risky operations, as is the case with puncture or welding operations. That said, let’s have a look at how to deal with transparent fastening operations!
Transparent fastening: possible uses
There are many scenarios in which you may need transparent gluing. The first case that comes to mind is surely that of glass: for example, you might need to fasten a glass sheet in a window frame, or a glass sheet to the door of an appliance with transparent industrial double-sided tape. But glass is certainly not the only transparent material regularly used in industry applications. Other such materials are polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and so on. These are plastic materials which can be transparent and can be used in the most diverse production sectors: for instance, the production of household appliances, vehicles, fixtures, sports goods, household items, and so on.
The best invisible adhesives for transparent fastening
As we mentioned in the beginning of this article, different applications may require different types of adhesives. In this case, we hypothetically need transparent fastening: therefore, the common denominator the invisibility of the adhesive itself.
Based on this assumption, you can choose between different types of adhesive products. If you have a large surface available for fastening, and don’t need to deal with heavy weights, you can opt for a powerful transparent double-sided adhesive tape like, for example, the 3M™ VHB™ 4910 double-sided adhesive foam tape, which is colourless, vibration resistant, and perfectly sealant, and available in different widths. If you need more high-performance tape, you could opt for 3M™ GPT-020F, a strong, supported, colourless, and extremely powerful double-sided tape.
However, it must be noted that professional transparent double-sided adhesive tapes aren’t the only option: transparent fastening can also be achieved using hot-melt adhesives, especially in the case of fastening light materials. Those who only need to deal with higher loads can opt for a structural adhesive, which is still colourless, thus transparent. One such example is the two-component 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ DP100 Plus. This powerful glue for industrial use is transparent once polymerized and stands out for its quick fastening time; the processing time is only 4 minutes.
As you can imagine, therefore, there are several possibilities available for invisible fastening through transparent adhesives of different types. Finally, a detail which can be very valuable to users: when gluing on glass, most double-sided adhesive tapes require a prior set-up of the surface using a special primer, to increase the adhesive capacity.