One of the major disadvantages of using structural adhesives is the cost and time required for long cure cycles. The number of fixtures, energy use, and production times (either at room temperature or in an oven) required for structural adhesives have discouraged many from exploring adhesives as an alternative to mechanical fastening.
One approach to solve this problem has been the development of fast reacting room temperature curing adhesive systems. However, they often result in brittle joints, poor adhesion due to reduced time to achieve substrate wetting, and waste from material that has passed its shelf life or parts that could not be positioned in time. Modern meter-mix-dispense equipment will help to eliminate this last problem, but maintenance of the equipment, flushing of the unreacted adhesive, and expense of the equipment result in a completely new set of problems.
An effective way of speeding the cure of conventional adhesives has resulted from looking at the heating process itself. Electromagnetic heating provides a reliable, repeatable, noncontact and energy efficient heat in a minimal amount of time.