Lateral Radiation Curing for Adhesive Bond Strength

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for fixing components to carriers using adhesive bonds face issues such as bond weakening due to heat, complexity, and limited design freedom due to requirements for transparent adhesive surfaces or complex radiation guidance systems.

Innovation Solution

A device and method that uses a radiation source to cure an adhesive from the side, allowing for the use of radiation-impermeable materials for the adhesive surface and enabling a stronger bond with greater design freedom, including tape-like, strip-like, or grid-like adhesive surfaces, and the use of spacers for precise gap setting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If adhesive surface is made transparent to electromagnetic radiation, then adhesive can be cured through the surface, but bond strength is weakened due to reflections and limited material choices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesive bond strengthVSAvoidmaterial selection freedom
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of irradiating the adhesive through the adhesive surface from the component carrier side, the invention directs radiation onto the flanks of the adhesive laterally. This inversion of the irradiation direction eliminates the need for transparent adhesive surfaces, allowing use of radiation-impermeable materials like tool steel that provide stronger bonds, while still achieving complete adhesive curing through lateral radiation exposure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If radiation source is positioned to irradiate adhesive through component carrier, then curing is achieved, but device complexity increases due to transparent surface requirements and reflection avoidance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesive curing reliabilityVSAvoidadhesive surface treatment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention positions the radiation source to irradiate the adhesive laterally from the sides rather than through the component carrier. This eliminates the need for complex adhesive surface treatments to avoid reflections and allows use of opaque materials, significantly reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable adhesive curing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Strength

If adhesive surface is made large area, then bond strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and design freedom is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesive bond strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from traditional large-area planar adhesive bonding to a three-dimensional approach where adhesive is applied in narrow strip-like or tape-like forms along specific contours. The lateral radiation curing method enables this dimensional change, allowing adhesive to be concentrated in strategic locations rather than distributed over large areas, reducing material usage and manufacturing costs while maintaining bond strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying adhesive uniformly over large areas, the invention applies adhesive in localized strip-like or tape-like forms along specific contours where bonding is most critical. This localized adhesive application, enabled by lateral radiation curing, reduces material consumption and manufacturing costs while maintaining adequate bond strength through strategic placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach results in a stronger adhesive bond with reduced manufacturing costs and increased design flexibility, while allowing for reliable curing and easy detachment of components.

Implementation Method 1

at least one radiation source (22, 24) for curing the adhesive (8) by means of electromagnetic radiation (30, 32)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotopolymerisation: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentEP2429758B1Apparatus and method for fixing a component to a component carrier
Publication Date: 2013.07.31 MTU AERO ENGINES GMBH
  • EP2429758B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2429758B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2429758B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention discloses an apparatus for fixing a component (4) to a component carrier (6) by way of a radiation-curable adhesive (8), wherein the radiation (30, 32) for curing the adhesive (8) can be introduced laterally between the component carrier (6) and the component (4), and a method for fixing a component (4) in a component carrier (6) by way of an adhesive bond.