anyone use panel bonding vs welding repairs ?

[steveo3002]

chap here seems to have done a tidy sunroof delete , some suggest the bond line will always sink /reappear

what do you think?

 

[Maxakarudy]

Very difficult repair to do properly, ie welding. but adhesives are very good, used in the right places, lots of supercars are glued & riveted,
so no issues there, however butt fitting that sunroof panel will imo show itself at some point when the sun gets on it, low crown
panels distort real easy.
Some epoxies don't like etch primer, so I would have just epoxied it & skimmed it.
Btw it's not a paying job so he doesn't have to guarantee, no business would.

 

[fizzy]

3m VHB tapes are used in many situations to replace welds and rivets. Remember it's all down to surface area.
Most car windscreens are bonded and they are structural as well.

https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/vhb-tapes-uk/

 

[Craig-S]

That stuff he uses in the video is basically the same as Total Boat Thixxo. its just thickened epoxy.....not sure i want a car glued together

 

[steveo3002]

rightly or wrongly i trust it stregth wise , no worse than having a hole and bit of glass there right?

its the line where old meets new , will it show in a finished paint job once its seen some weather ?

i guess get a tube and make a test panel is the answer ..

 

[Craig-S]

I spose if anyone wants to try, id go with West systems 105 resin + 206 slow hardener + 409 sphere blend which is essentially the same stuff as hes using. my concern wouldnt be material strength, it would be the adhesion over time.

 

[DanZac]

my concern wouldnt be material strength, it would be the adhesion over time.

They glue aeroplanes together and they dont tend to fall apart (Boeing excepted).

Joint preparation and adhesive application and curing time / temperature need to be spot on though.

 

[Bullet2012]

been used for years by a few companies, Renault, Lotus , Chevrolet, to name a few

 

[Bullet2012]

more after a quick web trawl.
Jaguar Land Rover – heavy use of bonded aluminium structures
• Aston Martin – bonded aluminium tubs and panels
• Lotus – bonded aluminium chassis since the Elise
• Tesla – extensive bonding for aluminium and mixed materials
• Audi – Audi Space Frame uses bonding + rivets
• BMW – bonding in carbon/aluminium hybrid structures (i-series, 7‑series)
• Mercedes-Benz – bonded aluminium closures and mixed-material bodies
Ford – aluminium F‑150 uses bonding + rivets
• Volkswagen Group – VW, Skoda, SEAT all use bonded panels
• Toyota – bonding used in TNGA platform vehicles
• Honda – structural adhesives in Civic, CR‑V, etc.
• Hyundai/Kia – widespread use in new platforms
• GM – bonding in Corvette, Camaro, and aluminium closures

typical panels that are bonded,
• Roof skins
• Quarter panels
• Door skins
• Tailgates/boot lids
• Aluminium or composite panels
• EV battery trays and underfloor structures

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Surely glue is fine when an engineer has designed it to be used and the strength of the structure checked by engineering simulation tools and mechanical testing.

Using glue on a structure not designed for it, maybe not so good, what happens in a crash for instance?

 

[Bullet2012]

Surely glue is fine when an engineer has designed it to be used and the strength of the structure checked by engineering simulation tools and mechanical testing.

Using glue on a structure not designed for it, maybe not so good, what happens in a crash for instance?

the vehicle in the clip is a holden so the bonded bit will probably be the only surviving intact piece.

 

[keithski122]

Years ago I filled in a classic beetle sunroof(the post might still be on here minus the photos) and considered using a panel bond but rejected the idea possibly down to cost of both the adhesive and the gun to apply it. The glue I looked at had beads in it to maintain a constant space between both items being bonded.Lord fusor was the name I remember.

 

[Smallfry]

Years ago I used to bond repair patches with bodyfiller. Does that count ?

Pop rivets and glassfibre always showed. Always passed MOTs too.

Side panels on vans that cover optional window apertures are bonded on too. Try getting them off !