Designed to eliminate the growing probability of read-through, LORD Corp. has announced a new acrylic adhesive system, LORD 810 LRT. When cured with LORD Accelerator 20, LORD 810 LRT acrylic adhesive creates a flexible system for bonding metals, such as aluminum, galvanized steel and cold rolled steel (CRS), as well as engineered plastics such as PC-ABS and ASA. The adhesive system reportedly delivers fast cure speed and strong bonding with little to no bond-line read-through (BLRT). LORD Accelerator 20 allows precise control of the adhesive bond-line thickness due to its content of glass beads.

According to Jim Perritt, U.S. and Canada Sales Manager for LORD Product Assembly, this system was developed to alleviate the read-through problem that occurs when the adhesive can be seen through the substrate. “Anything assembled with thin-gauge materials (composite or metal) can suffer from this surface distortion problem,” he said. Being able to see the adhesive line is not acceptable by automotive OEMs looking to achieve a world-class finish.

“Read-through is growing more common as transportation industries switch to thinner-gauge, composite substrates as a replacement for steel components and as a means to save on assembly costs and provide better fuel economy to consumers,” said Larry Johns, LORD National Accounts Manager. “Similarly, as the industry continues to transition from welding to structural adhesives, as well as experiment with various substrates ranging from steel and plastics to aluminum, it is crucial to employ adhesives that are formulated to balance strength with read-through requirements. As requirements change for conditions such as lightweighting, longevity and quality—and a mixture of substrate materials become more popular—manufacturers have begun to rely more on adhesives for bonding.”

For more information, visit www.lord.com.