Adhesives are often a better way to assemble plastics than by using mechanical assembly with fasteners. For example, fiberglass composites are routinely bonded with epoxy or reactive acrylic adhesives in the automotive and marine industries because they give high strength and durable bonds.

What are the pros and cons of using pressure-sensitive tape adhesives in place of liquid adhesives in the assembly of electronic devices?

What alternatives do I have for high-strength bonding to surfaces like polyethylene and polypropylene?

This is a very broad topic for this column. Adhesive bonding requires several choices to be made, such as type of adhesive, additives like adhesion promoters and surface preparation.

Question: What options do we have for high-performance liquid gaskets these days?

Question: We bond interlocking polystyrene and ABS tubes together with a solvent-based cement. Can you recommend a less hazardous and safer adhesive? The plastics are clear.

Dave Dunn's February 2016 column.

Dave Dunn's January 2016 column.