Putting PSI in Its Place

New customers frequently tell us, right off, that they want an ultra-strong adhesive for their production line.

We give them an understanding nod – then ask them to tell us exactly what they will be bonding.

Although adhesive manufacturers often emphasize the strength of their products, the fact is, once cured, all wood adhesives – certainly all of the wood adhesives we offer – are essentially equal in strength WHEN used for the appropriate applications. (This generalization assumes that the adhesives were properly stored and applied, as well.)

Accordingly, we base our adhesive recommendation first and foremost upon what the application is – not on pounds per square inch (psi).  We ask, what is your product? What substrates are you bonding? Is the product for interior or exterior use?  Do you need to meet any specific standards (e.g., for water-resistance, VOC content, fire rating)? We also look at operation, pressing and adhesive application equipment. This information enables us to establish all requirements of your particular application and recommend an adhesive that meets every one of them – including, in the end, sufficient bond strength.

To give you an idea of how the analysis starts, here’s how we might approach requirements for various levels of water resistance. Indoor furniture wouldn’t typically require use of an adhesive that offers high water resistance. For this application, we would tend to look at products in our Titebond line of industrial adhesives, which offer higher resistance to heat than to water. (These products differ from Titebond products found on the shelves at hardware and woodworking stores). If, on the other hand, your application requires moderate water resistance – say, for laminating work surfaces – we might begin with our Multibond line. If you want extremely high water resistance – as required for exterior windows and doors – we would look at our two-part Advantage or EPI products for you. We’d be more likely to recommend one of our EPI products if you are also bonding non-wood substrates or need faster processing capabilities. We then would find the ideal product within that adhesive family to meet the full range of your application requirements.    

Admittedly, this is a cursory look at an involved recommendation process. Our goal here is simply to explain why you want to think past psi when looking for the right glue for your application – and why it’s important for you to work with an expert who can factor in all key considerations when selecting an adhesive for your specific application.