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Structural adhesives and the solar industry: standing the test of timecomponents and are easy to apply at thejob site. Not only could you use Versilok tofabricate the sub-assembly, but you couldtake that same adhesive and do the finalassembly in the field.How did adhesives keep weight down andlower production costs in solar manufacturing?Howard: Adhesives are an ideal substitutefor mechanical fasteners or welding. Withthese other production methods, you stillneed a sealant or gasket to seal joints andprevent contaminants, such as dirt, sandand oils, from entering the solar assembly.Adhesives “took off the table” the requirementfor any type of sealant or gasketbecause the adhesive became its own sealantor gasket.LORD Versilok 204 and 506 structural adhesives were used to fabricate portions of SolarOne, the first solar-electric generating plant in the United States.How have structural adhesives evolvedsince the 80s?Dave Pugne: Most of the racking systemsused in today’s solar installations are madeof aluminum and are either bonded ormechanically fastened to other substratesto build an assembly. The solar industry islooking for methods to help them decreasemaintenance costs, while improving durabilityand increasing product life expectancy.A new generation of acrylic adhesives,Maxlok adhesives, replaces welding,brazing, riveting and other mechanicalfastening methods and can be used in awide range of temperature environmentssubject to high impact or high peel loads.They are designed to bond a wide varietyof unprepared metals and dissimilar substrates,with minimal preparation.Did the Versilok adhesives gain wideacceptance in the solar industry?Howard: The adhesives became very popularin the solar industry, especially becauseof their versatility. They could be used inthe manufacture of solar equipment andin the field to assemble the equipment forinstallation. Because many of the solarassemblies are large and flat, portions ofthem are fabricated in the shop, but theactual installation required some assemblyof the various components in the field.The adhesives are very easy to use in themanufacturing environment to producePugne: Bonding solar panels to the rackingsystem eliminates the need for numerousfasteners. Adhesives also reduce stresspoints by evenly distributing weight acrossthe entire frame. For example, the bolts inthe panels will eventually, over time, beginto work themselves loose due to extremeoutdoor conditions such as wind andrain. Adhesives eliminate this problem.You no longer need to have maintenancepersonnel go into the field for regularcheck-ups, or to replace or tighten fasteners.Mechanical fasteners are also prone torusting, while the adhesives are formulatedto withstand wind, rain, dirt, sand and saltspray. Installation and construction timeis a lot quicker too, compared to laborintensiveoperations such as welding. TheDid the new polymeric adhesives findapplications in other industries?Howard: LORD embarked on developinga new class of adhesives because manufacturerswere not happy with what was currentlyavailable. Versilok adhesives foundacceptance in many industries, includingthe automotive market and personal recreationalvehicles such as watercraft, snowmobilesand jet skis. It then became apparentthat these adhesives would be usefulfor the manufacture and installation ofsolar equipment, considering their abilityto withstand harsh environments.For the Solar One installation, LORD Versilok adhesives provided a strong bond that was ableto withstand harsh, hot environments.www.globalsolartechnology.comGlobal Solar Technology – June 2011 – 13