Adhesive Bonding vs. Welding: When to choose each method

The reality is that both welding and adhesives have their uses, their pros and cons, areas where one is preferable to the other. We will compare the two approaches fairly to give you a better understanding of when to use either method.

A common question that we encounter in the adhesives industry is “why should I use an adhesive instead of welding?” While both methods are age-old behemoths in the world of joining – welding has existed in some form or other as a binding method since around 3000BC, while adhesives are even older – welding is sometimes more trusted by engineers and manufacturers in industry. As humans, we tend to stick with the tried and true – what we know and trust – and welding remains a very reliable method of joining today.
Welding has a very long history, but adhesives go back way further – Neanderthals were using birch bark tar as an adhesive for tools and hunting equipment 200,000 years ago! The first commercial glue manufacturing plant was founded in the Netherlands in the late 1600s, with modern adhesives gaining advent in the second half of the 19th century and continuing into the 20th century. As a manufacturer of industrial adhesives for over 60 years, Permabond produces a wide variety of glues that vary in their chemistry, technology and substrate compatibility. From epoxy adhesives to structural acrylics, cyanoacrylates (also known as superglue) and adhesives that cure using UV light, adhesives cover a broad spectrum depending on the nature of the application and parts to be bonded.