With the onset of Brexit and various supply issues with imported goods, more and more OEMs are looking to switch adhesive products for UK made, high-quality but lower cost alternatives. It’s for this reason that Bondloc UK says it has developed and modified more adhesives in the past 24 months than in the previous 25 years.
Bondloc UK, based in Worcestershire, has manufactured and supplied adhesives and sealants to the industrial, engineering and automotive sectors for over 28 years. With an international distribution network and product approvals within major OEMs such as JCB, Black & Decker, Honda, Bosch, Bombardier and Princess Yachts, Bondloc has over 150 adhesive formulations and over 300 active SKU’s sold across 32 countries. This includes a wide range of adhesive chemistries - anaerobic, cyanoacrylates, sealants and structural epoxies, PU’s and MMA’s.
“Our focus continues to be within the engineering market, with our metal bonding anaerobic products used extensively in this sector,” comments Warren Wilkinson, managing director of Bondloc. “We have an established network of distributors with core competencies within pneumatics, seals, bearings, transmission, pumps and gearboxes, and we continue to supply and support many OEMs directly.”
With continued pressure around sustainability and manufacturers investing in greener and more fuel-efficient solutions, the overall demand for high performance adhesives to bond synthetic materials is increasing. The evolution of new substrates and composites coming onto the market is also spurring additional technical challenges.
“Traditionally, we’ve supplied structural adhesives for carbon fibre bonding to F1 motorsports, but it now has wider applications across the automotive, construction, aerospace, wind turbine, marine and military sectors. Distributors and OEM’s need to be able to work closely with their suppliers to tackle production challenges surrounding new complex substrates and increasing processing costs. Having in-house production means we have the flexibility to tweak our formulations and bespoke manufacture products to the customer’s exact requirements.
“Our key successes have been through technical support and training of our distributors and end-users. Where specific adhesive brands are already defined on production drawings, our technical team fully supports the switching process. Our chemists work closely with the project teams on sampling and testing to ensure a smooth production transition. ISO 9001:2015 underpins our customers’ confidence in our quality systems to aid this process. The pandemic hasn’t stopped us manufacturing or the support we’ve given to our customers to deliver projects to fruition.”
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
