Picture the need to glue two metal pieces together strong enough to act as one piece and not break. Or imagine bonding delicate electronic parts together, in a way that survives high heat and vibration. Some industries might use ordinary glues, but advanced manufacturing companies need more than that – they need epoxy film adhesives that are designed to stronger, more durable and more reliable. According to the people at Axiom Materials, they have essentially become the common choice for critical applications across many fields, allowing for the delivery of everything from modern airplanes to smart products.

So What’s the Difference?

Unlike liquid glues which you squeeze out of a tube, an epoxy film adhesive starts its life as a thin and solid piece of material. It feels a little like plastic wrap, but that’s where the similarities end. This solid state provides many advantages. First, it produces an evenly shaped and sized layer of adhesive between the joined parts. With a liquid, you probably apply too much in one spot and not enough somewhere else, resulting in a weak point. A film will provide the same thickness each time and for all the different areas you glue. Second, because it’s a solid rather than a liquid, it doesn’t drip, or run, which streamlines the manufacturing. Another cool thing about these films is they’re often “pre-cured” or “B-staged”, which means they’re partially cured (hardened) but are still pliable. You place the film in between the parts, apply heat and pressure to it, and once the heat is removed, it fully cures (hardens) and forms a bond that is super tough. This is key to their performance, and the controlled curing is how they perform.

Built for Extreme Environments

One key reason epoxy film adhesives have such an extraordinary amount of use is their ability to perform in unchartered conditions. They are able to withstand extreme high and low temperatures without compromising the bonding strength and also have great resistance to many chemicals, oils, and moisture. This makes them great in environments where other glue types would have long deteriorated. They can also withstand continual vibration and stress with no cracking or losing bond strength. It is this combination of heat tolerance, chemical resistance and durability in tough environments that makes them incredibly useful as bonding agents.

From High Technology to Everyday Innovation

Although you may not be able to see them with the naked eye, epoxy film adhesives are incredibly useful and are hard at work in an array of applications. In the aerospace industry, they’re used to bond major structural components of an aircraft together. These bonds are lighter, stronger, and safer than using standard fasteners like rivets. That lighter aspect can reduce fuel consumption and increase performance. In electronics, epoxy film adhesives hold small, weight/heat sensitive chips on printed circuit boards, ensuring the right connections are made even in high heat usages. They are used in top-of-the-line ski and golf clubs, providing a light and incredibly strong bond that enhances performance. 

Conclusion

Epoxy film adhesives signify a quiet revolution in the joining of materials. Their best-in-class precision, strength and ability to perform in extreme environments has made them a very useful tool for engineers and manufacturers around the world. With industries and customers requiring lighter, stronger, and more durable products, the development of specialized epoxy film adhesives is bound to stay at the leading edge of industry. They are the under the radar backbone that’s enabling many innovations and ultimately assuring the integrity of many of the products we depend on every single day.