STATE OF THE ADHESIVES AND SEALANTS INDUSTRY: Industry at a Crossroads
On the bright side, however, opportunities to replace mechanical and other fasteners with adhesives and sealants do exist. Never before has there been a broader array of product formulations and new chemistries available to the product designer. However, one of the industry's challenges lies in how effectively it can communicate and educate different generations and future designers, engineers, and architects who have no formal training in adhesives, and who harbor various misperceptions about our products. To remedy this condition, the industry must develop and promote new training tools to help its customers feel more comfortable and secure in selecting adhesives and sealants as the preferred bonding alternative. In addition, the industry must address the longer-term realities of little formalized training in undergraduate engineering programs to educate the next generation of designers. This grassroots work is crucial in helping to grow the industry.