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New removable adhesion technology improves aircraft assembly
The incumbent adhesive pads were disintegrating in use, causing concerns that foreign object damage (FOD) could be left in the fuel tanks and cause disruption to the fuel supply. Additionally, the residue left by the pads on removal could potentially result in fuel contamination.
The goal was to find a high performance adhesive pad that would remain intact in service, leave no residue on the airframe structure once removed, and maintain sufficient adhesion to secure the fastener components in place while their adhesive cured.
Stinson Aerospace Components contacted Tangent Self Adhesives for technical support, because of the success of past projects as well as Tangent’s respected reputation in adhesives. Tangent prepared various composite adhesive samples within a week for customer trial. During performance testing, one sample emerged as the clear standout in meeting the desired objectives of intact and clean adhesive pad removal, leaving no FOD or residue on the structure, and delivering the required adhesion to facilitate curing of the fasteners’ adhesive.
Dennis Stinson, Senior Executive Partner-Technical Services of Stinson Aerospace Components, commented:
“We’ve worked with Tangent on previous projects and have always been pleased with the results. The team rapidly understands the brief and our desired outcomes to deliver a highly effective solution. There are clear synergies between our businesses: Stinson Aerospace has a strong reputation for solving challenging problems in the Aerospace Industry, and Tangent is highly respected in the high performance adhesives sector. The project has met all customer goals and the new, bespoke parts are now specified as part of the customer’s aircraft build.”
