Disclosure of Invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a further method for producing a structural adhesive connection between two connecting parts, at least one of which should be metallic and should furthermore have a cathodic dip coating.
This object is achieved by the method according to the invention of claim 1. The invention also extends to a method for separating a structural adhesive joint made according to the invention by the side-by-side claims. Other features of the invention are similarly derived from the dependent claims, the following description of the invention (which also explicitly includes the features described by way of example and optionally) and the figures for both inventive solutions.
According to the method for producing a structural adhesive connection between a first metal connection piece and a second connection piece, each having at least one adhesive surface provided for an adhesive process, the method comprising the following steps, which are preferably carried out automatically or at least partially automatically:
applying an electrically insulating adhesion promoter to the (at least one) adhesive surface of the first metal connection element such that the adhesive surface is coated with the adhesion promoter, after which
Cathode dip-coating of a first metal connection, wherein the adhesive surface coated with or provided with the adhesion promoter layer is not coated, i.e. the previously applied adhesion promoter remains unpainted or non-painted, after which
-Bonding the connection pieces, for which purpose the adhesion promoter coated bonding surface of the first metal connection piece is bonded to the bonding surface of the second connection piece by introducing an adhesive.
The general terms "bonding" and "bonding process" are used for the description of the present invention and should be considered as synonyms for the terms "bonding" and "bonding process".
Structural adhesive bonds (hereinafter also referred to simply as adhesive bonds) are bonds produced by means of adhesives, i.e. high-strength material bonds based on the adhesive and cohesive forces of the adhesive, which bonds are also resistant in particular to temperature changes (for example in the range from-40 ℃ to +80 ℃). The structural adhesive connection in question is preferably used in vehicle construction and in particular can also be subjected to dynamic and highly dynamic loads (for example in the event of a crash).
The connection is a component which is provided as a single component or which has been integrated into a component group (module). The metal connection is a component made of metal, for example aluminum or steel, or at least having a metal surface, wherein the metal connection is in particular a sheet metal part or a cast part. According to the invention, at least the first connecting piece is a metal member. The second connector may be a non-metallic member, such as a plastic member or a plastic composite member, or may be a metallic member. Preferably, the first and second connectors are vehicle components, such as body components or battery components.
According to the invention, an adhesion promoter is applied or distributed to the adhesive surface of the first metal connection. Adhesion promoters (also known as primers) are adhesion primers that are applied directly to bare metal surfaces, wherein the application should take place only locally in the region of the adhesive surface. Preferably, adhesion promoters based on epoxy resins or acrylic resins (acrylates) are used. The adhesion promoter may have complementary components, such as modifiers for improving collision resistance and/or agents or elements for the de-adhesion function (see below). As adhesion promoters, it is also possible to use specially adapted or modified adhesives, in particular structural adhesives. The adhesive surface can be cleaned before the application of the adhesion promoter, in particular for the removal of oil residues, wherein oil-resistant adhesion promoters can also be used. The adhesion promoter may have a liquid, gel-like or paste-like consistency, or may also be film-like. The application may be performed, for example, by a nozzle, brush, press roll, or the like. Application may also be by printing or lamination. Drying is also provided if necessary before further processing.
According to the invention, an electrically insulating adhesion promoter is used, which, after application to the adhesive surface, forms an electrically insulating coating or adhesion promoter layer. The adhesion promoter is preferably applied in a layer thickness of at least 25 μm, in particular at least 50 μm, in order to obtain a sufficiently good electrical insulation, wherein it is preferably provided that the maximum layer thickness does not exceed 100 μm. Of course, suitable adhesion promoters may also be applied or applied to the adhesive surface of the second connecting element. The second connector may likewise be metallic, so the foregoing description applies similarly to the second connector.
According to the invention, the first metal connection is dip-coated with a cathodic adhesion promoter. In this case, the connection piece is electrically negatively polarized after being pretreated if necessary and immersed in a paint bath with positively charged paint particles (so-called KTL process, i.e. cathodic dip coating process, for which reference is made to the corresponding technical literature) in order to apply or apply a paint layer, in particular a so-called primer layer. Such a paint or primer layer applied by cathodic dip coating may have a layer thickness or paint layer thickness of 10 μm to 50 μm or more. Due to the electrical insulation, the adhesion promoter or the adhesion promoter layer on the adhesive surface is not applied with paint or at least is not applied with stable paint during the cathodic dip-coating, and therefore does not need to be covered.
After the application of the paint or primer layer in the paint tank, the paint or primer layer is preferably also dried (also called baked) in a so-called KTL oven, in particular at a KTL oven temperature in the range of about 180 to 220 ℃. During this drying process, the adhesion promoter can also cure and acquire its complete function, in particular by a crosslinking reaction. The possible paint deposits on the adhesion promoters can be removed relatively easily before drying or, if appropriate, after drying, for example by blowing off, wiping or stripping.
Preferably, the thickness of the adhesion promoter or the layer thickness of the adhesion promoter layer is coordinated with the thickness or layer thickness of the lacquer layer or the primer layer applied by the cathodic dip-coating, wherein the minimum layer thickness of the adhesion promoter results in particular from the electrical insulation to be achieved (see above). It is preferably provided that the paint layer or primer layer applied during cathodic dip-coating is substantially as thick as the previously applied adhesion promoter. In other words, the paint or primer layer applied during cathodic dip-coating and the previously applied adhesion promoter layer have essentially the same layer thickness, so that in some cases disturbing step transitions are avoided. However, it is also possible to provide that the adhesion promoter layer and the lacquer or primer layer have different layer thicknesses.
Optionally, after the cathodic dip-coating and before the bonding, at least one further paint layer, for example a color paint layer and/or a varnish layer, may also be applied to the connection part, without the adhesion promoter being applied in the process, for which purpose the adhesion promoter may be masked, for example.
For bonding the connection pieces, an adhesive, preferably a so-called structural adhesive, in particular a two-component structural adhesive, such as a polyurethane or epoxy (resin) adhesive, is used. The bonding may comprise the substeps of applying an adhesive to the adhesion promoter coated bonding face or to the adhesion promoter of the first metal component and/or to the bonding face of the second component (which may also be coated with an adhesion promoter), aligning the connection, including a compaction process if necessary, and curing the adhesive under ambient conditions or under pressure and/or heat (wherein the temperature reached during this process is typically lower or at least not higher than the KTL oven temperature). Alternatively, after the alignment of the connectors, adhesive may also be injected into the bonding gap or bonding seam.
The adhesion promoter applied at least to the first metal connection improves on the one hand the adhesion between the adhesive and the connection and also the durability of the adhesive connection. On the other hand, adhesion promoters prevent the application of paint in the region of the adhesive surface during cathodic dip coating, so that the structural adhesive bond produced according to the invention is produced with the exception of cathodic dip coating (i.e. almost directly without a paint interlayer) and is therefore significantly more stable or more load-resistant and stronger (because there is no strength or durability limitation due to the paint layer) than conventional adhesive bonds containing cathodic dip coating. In vehicle production, the static, vibration and dynamic load capacity for structural adhesive joints and in particular the advantage of crash stability result therefrom. In order to be able to separate the relatively firm or stable adhesive connection and thus to be able to re-detach the connection, a method for separating the connection, also according to the invention, is described below.
A further advantage of the invention is that the bonding can be performed at a very late point in time in a complex manufacturing sequence, which facilitates the implementation of the modular structure. For example, in vehicle manufacturing, the joining process, which has hitherto been carried out in body-in-white manufacturing prior to cathodic dip painting, can be transferred into the vehicle assembly after cathodic dip painting, thereby facilitating modularity.
The adhesion promoter for the first metal connection may comprise at least one component which enables a targeted separation or release of the structural adhesive connection at a later point in time, which may also be referred to as a debonding function. The same preferably applies to the adhesion promoter for the second connector. This component is in particular an agent integrated into the composition, for example an expanding agent or other admixed element, which for example constitutes a chemically rated breaking point, so that the internal cohesion or cohesion of the adhesion promoter is counteracted or relieved under the action of heat, in particular above the KTL oven temperature or other suitable energy, for example by breaking the polymer chains contained in the thermoset polymer matrix. It can also be a component, in particular an agent or other admixed element, which is integrated into the composition and which, in the case of extreme cold (for example at temperatures below-40 °), leads to a targeted or particularly severe embrittlement of the adhesion promoter or adhesion promoter layer. The adhesive bond can thus be separated or released again at a later point in time relatively easily, for example for repair or recycling purposes, at the adhesion promoter or within the adhesion promoter layer (see below), without special adhesives having a release function being required for this purpose.
As already explained, the second connection element can also be metallic. In this case, the method according to the invention for producing a structural adhesive connection preferably comprises the following additional method steps, which are carried out before the bonding:
applying an electrically insulating adhesion promoter to the adhesive surface of the second metal connection, wherein the adhesion promoter is in particular the same adhesion promoter as is also used for the first metal connection;
-subjecting the second metal connection to a cathodic dip-coating, wherein the adhesion surface coated with the adhesion promoter remains unpainted.
The preceding description applies analogously to these additional method steps.
The method according to the invention for separating or releasing a structural adhesive bond produced according to the invention using at least one adhesion promoter having a release function (see above) provides that the adhesive bond or the assembly of adhesive bonds according to the invention is heated or cooled at least in the region of the adhesive bond, in particular only locally, which can be achieved, for example, by means of a hot air blower or a so-called hot air gun or a cold spray, so that the adhesion promoter is decomposed or embrittled as described above, almost ready for detachment, so that a simple detachment can be achieved (without great effort). The structural adhesive bond is thus separated within the adhesion promoter or adhesion promoter layer, to some extent between one or both of the connectors and the adhesive or adhesive layer. That is, the separation or release of the adhesive connection does not occur at or within the adhesive, so that an adhesive without a corresponding debonding additive or the like may be used for the bonding process. This approach is also advantageous for possible reuse of the connection.
Two methods according to the invention can be summarized or combined into a method for producing a structural adhesive connection (between a first metal connection and a second connection) and later separating the structural adhesive connection, with the method having the corresponding steps described herein.
The invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings. The features shown in the schematic drawings and/or described below may also be general features of the invention independently of the specific feature combinations.