DELO has introduced a light and humidity curing sealant for connectors that are often found in vehicle control units or sensors. DELO DUALBOND GE4918 offers pin sealing properties that increases connector life and allows efficient production.
Connectors need to be reliably sealed to protect electronics from humidity, media and corrosion. DELO states that automotive suppliers generally use silver coated connector pins, since they are more cost-efficient than gold and more reliable than copper. The silver is given an additional passivation layer to protect it from tarnish and abrasion. This coating is usually based on mercaptan and has been considered difficult to bond, which is why DELO developed DUALBOND GE4918.
DELO DUALBOND GE4918 not only adheres well to the mercaptan coating, but also adheres to the typical connector housing materials PA and PBT. Since this new sealant is flexible in the cured state, it also compensates for the different thermal expansions of metal pins and plastic housings. It offers very good temperature resistance up to 150°C and is able to keep the connectors tight after thermal shock tests ranging in temperature from -40°C to 150°C.
The sealant enables fast and simple production processes with a high level of safety. The one component product is easy to dispense and can be fixed in 20 seconds with the help of high-intensity UV light. In shadowed areas that cannot be reached by light, a second curing mechanism allows the adhesive to cure under the influence of air humidity. An in-line tightness test can be performed immediately after UV light fixation.
DUALBOND GE4918 has silicone-like properties but does not require the special precautions silicones need. The outgassing of silicone often leads to contamination of other processes, which is particularly undesirable in painting or coating processes.
