Situation:

A crane manufacturer was searching for an alternative to welding for joining a stainless steel hinge to a painted metal folding panel that will protrude from the cranes to serve as a portable workstation on the job site.

Challenges:

The manufacturer was initially welding the parts together but was facing the following challenges:

• Welding dissimilar metals is challenging and labor-intensive
• Incorrect filler metals lead to corrosion and premature welding failures
• Welding increases costs through skilled labor requirements and a large volume of consumables

Solutions:

The manufacturer tested bonding with LOCTITE H4500 acrylic structural bonder..

The pain on the edge of the metal panel was removed with a grinder and a bead of LOCTITE H4500 was dispensed through a dual cartridge dispenser equipped with a mixer nozzle. The hinge was positioned and clamped till fixture. When tested for strength, the adhesive bond line was found to pass the strength test.

Result

Bonding with LOCTITE H4500:

• Offers very high bond strengths for joining dissimilar metals together
• Provides insulation to prevent galvanic corrosion between the different metals
• Reduces manufacturing costs through lower cost labor and faster assembly time