A process for welding of at least two separate vehicle panels (12, 14) to form an integral part (16) for a vehicle. There is provided at least one first panel (12) including a first weld line area (18) and at least one second panel (14) including a corresponding second weld line area (19), the second weld line area (19) abutting in a weldable relationship to the first weld line area (18). The first and second weld line areas (18, 19) have at least one first weldable portion (22) and at least one second portion (24) at which welding is substantially hindered during welding attachment of the first and second panels (12, 14). The process includes applying a curable adhesive at each second portion (24), placing in a welding fixture and welding the panels (12, 14) at each first weldable portion (22) such that the panels (12, 14) are held together during curing of the adhesive.

A microfluidic cartridge, configured to facilitate processing and detection of nucleic acids, comprising: a top layer comprising a set of cartridge-aligning indentations, a set of sample port-reagent port pairs, a shared fluid port, a vent region, a heating region, and a set of Detection chambers; an intermediate substrate, coupled to the top layer comprising a waste chamber; an elastomeric layer, partially situated on the intermediate substrate; and a set of fluidic pathways, each formed by at least a portion of the top layer and a portion of the elastomeric layer, wherein each fluidic pathway is fluidically coupled to a sample port-reagent port pair, the shared fluid port, and a Detection chamber, comprises a turnabout portion passing through the heating region, and is configured to be occluded upon deformation of the elastomeric layer, to transfer a waste fluid to the waste chamber, and to pass through the vent region.

Fluid leak repair kits are described comprising a putty, self-amalgamating tape, and a composite material for use in encompassing the self-amalgamating tape. The composite material comprises a flexible sheet or tape and a matrix component for binding the flexible sheet or tape. The matrix component comprises a resin or water-activated matrix component which, when cured, forms an outer shell.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for storing adhesive application units, with the device comprising a vacuum container (10) for hermetically accommodating at least one adhesive application unit (2), with the vacuum container (10) having: a passage (22) for evacuating the vacuum container (10), a container housing section (11) having a loading/unloading opening (12) and a closing device (13) for hermetically closing the loading/unloading opening (12).

A method for forming a solar panel can include attaching one or more tacking pads to one or both of a first surface of a first solar panel subassembly and a second surface of a second solar panel subassembly. The method further includes dispensing an adhesive onto at least one of the first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are placed in contact with the one or more tacking pads, thereby tacking the first and second solar panel subassemblies together, during which the first and second surfaces contact the adhesive, thereby decreasing a thickness and increasing a surface area of the adhesive. Subsequently, the adhesive is cured. The tacking pad(s) maintain fixed alignment of the solar panel subassemblies during curing of the adhesive, and establish a bond line of the adhesive.

An adhesive composition may be applied to a surface, such as plastic, metal, wood, stucco, plaster, brick, concrete, glass, rubber, tile, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain, canvas, stone, or drywall. The adhesive-containing surface is then pressed into contact with a second surface to create a strong, watertight bond. The methods disclosed herein may be used to assemble and/or repair a variety of articles and structures, such as roofs, gutters, boats, kayaks, personal watercraft, canoes, rafts, inflatable articles such as toys, sporting equipment, and air mattresses, outdoor equipment, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, campers, garden hoses, low-pressure PVC and plumbing pipes, tents, vinyl awnings, covers and tarps, swimming pools, windows, doors, walls, seams, vents, air ducts, HVAC systems, and the like. Also disclosed herein are methods of testing the bonding strength of an adhesive, methods of affecting underwater repairs, and methods of assembling an all-terrain vehicle.

A method for installing a sensor onto an inner surface of a tire is generally disclosed. The method includes robotically deglazing at least a portion of the inner surface of the tire, defining a preconditioned surface. The sensor is robotically selected and a target surface of the sensor is cleaned. An adhesive is applied to at least a portion of the target surface of the sensor. In some embodiments, the adhesive is applied to a portion of the preconditioned surface. The sensor is robotically positioned, wherein the target surface of the sensor abuts the preconditioned surface. A wet-out operation is performed, wherein a predetermined pressure is applied to the sensor for a predetermined period of time to affix the sensor to the preconditioned surface.

A stabilizer adhesive bearing for a vehicle stabilizer may comprise an annular sleeve having a resilient inner contour for coaxial arrangement on the vehicle stabilizer. The resilient inner contour of the annular sleeve may comprise on a side facing the vehicle stabilizer a three-dimensionally structured surface with an adhesive receiving volume. The three-dimensionally structured surface has a maximum roughness depth (R.sub.max) greater than 45 m and a core roughness depth (R.sub.K) of at least 65% relative to the maximum roughness depth (R.sub.max) of the three-dimensionally structured surface. The maximum roughness depth (R.sub.max) is a total of the reduced tip height (R.sub.pk) and the reduced groove depth (R.sub.vk). Further, the reduced tip height (R.sub.pk), the reduced groove depth (R.sub.vk), and the core roughness depth (R.sub.K) may be determined in accordance with EN ISO 13565-2: December 1997.

A moisture curable hot melt adhesive composition that includes isocyanate-terminated polyurethane prepolymer that includes the reaction product of a crystalline polyester polyol, a polyether polyol, and diisocyanate, clay, polyester/polyether elastomer, a first thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene (alkyl)acrylate copolymer, and combinations thereof, a tackifying agent, and optionally a second thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic polycaprolactone, and combinations thereof.

A method for forming a solar panel can include attaching one or more tacking pads to one or both of a first surface of a first solar panel subassembly and a second surface of a second solar panel subassembly. The method further includes dispensing an adhesive onto at least one of the first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are placed in contact with the one or more tacking pads, thereby tacking the first and second solar panel subassemblies together, during which the first and second surfaces contact the adhesive, thereby decreasing a thickness and increasing a surface area of the adhesive. Subsequently, the adhesive is cured. The tacking pad(s) maintain fixed alignment of the solar panel subassemblies during curing of the adhesive, and establish a bond line of the adhesive.