3M senior technical services engineer Shawn Collins demonstrates in a YouTube video how to troubleshoot adhesive curing issues – and prevent them from happening again.
"When a structural or panel bonding adhesive fails to cure properly, it’s often due to something in the cartridge equalising or mixing process," Collins explains.
He stresses the importance of personal protective equipment and following OEM recommendations for the correct adhesive and panel combination.
"Before use, check that the cartridge ports are clean and free of dried material. A simple pick or even a paper clip can remove any blockage. Then, load the cartridge into the applicator gun and equalise both sides – making sure material flows from both ports before fitting the mixing nozzle," he says.
"Because many 3M products are two-to-one ratio adhesives, you’ll notice twice as much from one side. After attaching the nozzle, extrude a few centimetres onto a mixing board to ensure both components are flowing evenly before application."
If a repair still fails to cure, Collins suggests a simple test: extrude adhesive without a nozzle, mix it by hand, and allow it to cure. If it hardens properly, the fault lies in the nozzle or equalising step, not the adhesive itself.
“Once you know the process, it’s easy to pinpoint the cause,” Collins says.
“It’s the first thing I tell anyone who calls about curing problems.”
Click here to view the YouTube video.