It’s usually safe to say that if you’re working with quality 3M tape convertors or bespoke adhesive producers of any kind, you have an important purpose in mind for the items you’re sourcing. Therefore, it’s equally safe to say that you’d most likely prefer said items to work as efficiently and effectively as possible. From a wide variety of DIY projects to smaller businesses to large scale manufacturing settings, organisations and individuals in growing numbers are ordering bespoke adhesives.
Why is this? Well, put simply, it all comes down to the way it’s never been more affordable or easy to order a bespoke adhesive product designed and created completely on your behalf. Whatever it is you want, there is always the option of ordering exactly what you need manufactured from the ground up, as opposed to just purchasing a standard adhesive product off the shelf. And naturally, when an item has been designed and engineered with a concrete purpose in mind, it’s inherently going to be better suited to this purpose than anything else.
So for anybody who has made the decision to invest in bespoke adhesive products for any purpose, here is a short overview of a few guidelines from the experts on how to maximise performance and effectiveness:
1 – Built for Purpose
First up, it’s crucial to make sure that the adhesive product bought is in fact entirely suitable for its purpose. Which in turn means considering carefully the intended purpose of the product before ordering it from a recognised supplier. From the specific materials to be joined to the desired strength of the bond to the conditions it’ll be exposed to and so on, it is a case of carefully thinking about every element of importance, in order to make sure that the adhesive ticks all boxes. If unsure, consult with the experts.
2 – Preparing the Surface
When it comes to actually using the adhesive product, one of the most crucial tips is to make sure that the materials to be joined have been prepared accordingly. In some cases, this might mean using sandpaper to produce a rough surface, or to the contrary making sure that both surfaces are as flawless and smooth as possible. In all cases however, preparing the surface means making sure that the surfaces to be bonded are clean and free of debris and dust.
3 – Ambient Conditions
It is also very important to consider the ambient conditions at the time the product is used. The reason is that in so many cases, conditions that are too cold, too humid or too hot might make it extremely difficult for the adhesive product to do its job correctly. This is something that is determined by the product itself and should be laid out in the instructions – not to mention something that needs to be kept in mind when selecting and ordering the products in the first place. Consider the place where the adhesive is to be used, along with the way it is to be used.
4 – Curing Time
Every adhesive product will have very particular instructions when it comes to precisely how long it should be left to cure before the join is fully complete. It might be a matter of a few minutes, a few hours or in some cases a few days before the join is as strong as it should be. Again, this is something that needs to be taken into account when ordering the adhesives in the first place and considered according to your requirements. In order to make sure you get maximum value for money and performance from your adhesives, it’s very important to allow enough curing time.
5 – Product Condition and Age
It is also very important to bear in mind that basically every adhesive on the market today will have an expiration date and an expiration period after the product has been first opened. It’s crucially important to pay attention to these dates because as soon as such products begin approaching their expiration dates, they can’t be expected to do their job with full efficiency and effectiveness.
6 – Storage Conditions
Last up, in the same cases you can’t expect an adhesive of any type to perform to its full potential if it hasn’t been stored according to the instructions. Again, things like the ambient humidity and the temperature of the room come into the equation, along with the kind of container you choose to adhesive. If you want to get the most out of your bespoke adhesive products, you will need to store them in precise accordance with the supplier’s instructions.