Adhesive sticks reduce bulky tools problem

Any move that reduces the weight of the toolbox carried around by engineers has to be a good thing.

Problem: One way is to discard some of the tools in the box, but this is not often practicable. A better option is to reduce the size of the tools in the box, as long as the products achieve the same level of performance as their larger equivalents. Solution: Henkel Loctite has developed an extension of its popular glue stick design. The glue stick principle works in many office and domestic situations but has been adapted to suit industrial applications. The new range consists of two threadlocking adhesives, a pipe sealant and two anti-seize agents. They are smaller in size than the traditional packaging, yet retain the same strength of the original products. The user simply twists the base of the container, a stick then appears and the adhesive can be applied to the surface to be bonded. Loctite 248 and 268 (higher strength) are the threadlocking products, which are both available in 10g and 19g packs. Loctite has also developed 561, a general purpose anaerobic thread sealant that prevents leakage of fluids from pipe joints. It can be used in a similar way to the threadlocking adhesives and comes in a 19g pack. The new anti-seize products are Loctite 8065, for copper (with copper and graphite lubricating agents), and 8060 silver grade which has an aluminium, copper and graphite base. Both products enable easy assembly and disassembly of mated parts such as fasteners, gaskets, bushes, cables, chains and pumps. Applications: Loctite 248 can be used on surfaces that have been contaminated with oil or grease. 268 can be used on all metals including stainless steels and those with protective coatings such as zinc. Functional strength is achieved in six hours. The anaerobic sealant 561 can be used on all course metal threads and has an instant low pressure seal. It is there fore suitable for fast applications at low temperature, for example, where outdoor plant is involved. Typical applications for the anti-seize products include crane assemblies, ovens, power plants, cylinder head and exhaust manifold studs, coal crushers, high temperature compressors, pump housings, heat exchangers and autoclaves. DP