Bonding Rubber Gaskets to a Steel Intake Manifold
Research Objective
To bond rubber gaskets to a steel gas tank assembly within 6 seconds at 350°F. without foaming.
Parts & Materials Description
Flat and round rubber gaskets, steel gas tank assembly
Temperature Required
350°F
Induction Heating Equipment
IA EB-2 Bonding System with dual 1kW power supplies, remote heat station and two specially designed induction coils
Operating Frequency
179 kHz for the flat gasket; 237 kHz for the round gasket
Heating Procedure
Two two-turn pancake coils were specially contoured to the the shape of the steel assembly to produce uniform heat in the gasket areas. The steel assembly was initially heated without gaskets to establish a heating pattern and time-to-temperature. After a satisfactory heating pattern was obtained, the gaskets were positioned over the joint areas. RF power was applied for 6 seconds to reach the bonding temperature of 350°F.
Conclusion
Consistent and repeatable results were achieved with the EB-2 Bonding System operating at 350°F with a heat cycle of 6 seconds. By locally heating the steel directly under the gaskets with induction, the gaskets were consistently bonded to the steel without foaming.
