The outlook for the U.S. adhesives and sealants industry at the mid-point of 2014 has slightly improved over 2013. After growing just 1.9% in 2013, most economists are predicting the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) will grow 3% for 2014.

As products for industrial, medical, and personal use continue to become more sophisticated, there is a growing need for enhanced research, testing, and storage techniques to support these evolutionary and revolutionary products.

UV LED curing refers to a technique that uses “energy” output from the light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum to treat coatings, adhesives, inks and other UV-curable materials.

Below are the 50 most-viewed news stories on the ASI website in 2013.*

This issue marks the publication of ASI’s 20th annual Buyers’ Guide, a purchasing and applications resource for raw materials, equipment and services used to manufacture adhesives and sealants, pressure sensitives, and adhesives and sealants products such as tapes and labels.

This fall, visitors to the inaugural Assembly Show will enjoy an event that has been specially designed for suppliers, buyers and users of assembly technology and equipment.

"Added value” is not just an overused buzzword in today’s business and manufacturing environment. It can actually be the key driver in profitability when incorporating adhesives into a manufacturing process.

Today’s elastomeric joint sealants are quite remarkable. For a relatively low cost, they provide much of the protection against air or water intrusion for many types of assemblies. In these applications, a sealant must adhere tenaciously to the substrates and maintain prolonged flexibility while being bombarded by wind, rain, heat, ultraviolet (UV) light, ice, dirt, and so on.