Henkel Offers Adhesive Solutions for Automation Industry; Solves Challenges of Robot Manufacturers

Düsseldorf / Germany -- They can lift loads weighing tons, operate under harshest conditions and work 24 hours a day without a break. Since the early 1960s, robots have conquered the industrial world. These astonishing machines are increasingly constructed using adhesive technologies from Henkel. Now, even robot arm elements can be bonded with structural adhesives.

The International Federation of Robotics estimates in its study "World Robotics 2012" that there were at least 1.1 million operational industrial robots worldwide at the end of 2011. This number is expected to reach more than 1.5 million units by the end of 2015. To increase performance, prolong lifetime and lower production cost, many robot producers are turning from traditional fastening methods like welding and riveting to different types of adhesive technologies.

As in the case of any other machinery, robots must operate reliably. Their availability should be maximized, as downtimes are costly in most manufacturing processes. This is where Henkel technologies play a key role, not only cutting manufacturing costs but also providing solutions that increase machinery efficiency and dependability. From industrial robots to metal-working machinery or processing and packaging machinery, Henkel fulfills the most stringent manufacturer requirements. Henkels solutions are compatible with a wide variety of machinery fluids and working environments, and comply with different standards recognized across the industry.

Innovative manufacturing processes for robot and machine tool manufacturers

Henkel develops specific solutions for robot and machine tool builders. For instance, robot and automation system manufacturers like SAPELEM are incorporating the latest structural bonding technologies so as to both reduce weight and increase stiffness, and therefore enhance equipment accuracy. This is only feasible with assembly methods that evenly distribute stresses when joining dissimilar metals, or indeed composites and plastics. Material selection is not therefore restricted to a limited number of materials, and customers can base material selection on pure functionality criteria, enabling them to choose the most appropriate substrates.

Henkel also offers sustainable and cost-efficient guard manufacturing systems. For instance, safety and inspection windows can be assembled and sealed in one go using fast-cure flexible adhesives that need no primer and are free from potentially dangerous chemicals. Lighter panels and doors can also be manufactured without compromising their mechanical strength by using new designs that allow a more even and efficient load transfer. These methods are well known in other industries like elevator or even aircraft manufacturing, which benefit from significant production and transportation cost savings.

The use of adhesives enables manufacturers to incorporate new materials, combining their features in the most convenient way. For example, fast-cure flexible sealants exceed usual customer requirements through their ability to bond materials such as painted and bare steel, stainless steel, castings and glass. New designs also become possible, enabling producers to create new generations of readily marketable machines.

There are various technologies available, including flexible adhesives and sealants capable of joining and sealing dissimilar substrates of any size and finish. These bonding agents can absorb assembly stress and deformation resulting of effects like load transfer, impact, vibration or differential thermal expansion. Such constructions retain their structural integrity with even fragile elements such as windows contributing to overall structural strength. These solutions have been proven resistant to most industrial fluids, including cutting oils and emulsions. Machine tool manufacturers like KOVOSVIT MAS have benefited from such solutions over the years, providing equipment of superior quality and reliability to their end customers.

Another area where adhesives are finding new applications is in bed and frame construction. New materials offering low expansion coefficients, such as composites or polymer concrete (mineral castings) often need adhesives for certain assembly operations.

All these Henkel solutions meet the most stringent customer requirements, including mechanical performance, durability and chemical resistance against industrial fluids.

Lighter yet more robust robots and automation systems

A key manufacturing equipment segment today is industrial robots and automation systems. The faster and more reliable the robots, the higher the manufacturing output in automated lines. And here, again, the most modern assembly and sealing technologies can bring new robot design opportunities. Light materials like plastics and composites can be incorporated and joined with other materials by using structural adhesives. Even cast and carbon steel can be bonded together. Flanged joints in cast components can be sealed and reinforced using anaerobic liquid gaskets, thus upgrading their load transmission capability. In addition, Henkels high-performance sealants enable robot manufacturers to build industrial robots for highly clean environments, or to prevent chemical ingress and mechanical damage in robots operating in harsh working environments. Even robot arms, lifting extremely heavy loads, are constructed with adhesives from Henkel.

Rollers used in automated line conveyors can also be manufactured using room-temperature-curing adhesive-based assembly systems, saving manufacturing costs and scrappage without compromising their mechanical performance.

Sealing of fluid systems

Henkel offers a comprehensive range of thread sealants and liquid gaskets to solve many of the common fluid sealing problems: from low-pressure fluid drainage or air recirculation systems that can be sealed with the high-performance yarns, to high-pressure hydraulic, lubricant and pneumatic supply connections with screw threads that require high-performance anaerobic sealants. One of the latest innovations in Henkels thread sealant family is Loctite 55 yarn. This grade shows all advantages of PTFE tape and hemp, but none of their disadvantages. Threaded connections are easily and instantly sealed, but allowing part repositioning if required. The ergonomic Loctite 55 application container enables operatives to seal around 10 times the number of threaded connections feasible with one PTFE tape reel, without the usual problem of sticky, dirty grease contaminating the hemp. The product was used, for example, in sprinkler systems recently installed in various new airport projects.

High-performance anaerobics to meet tough mechanical challenges