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Silicone sealant holds boats together

A Dow Corning product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 20, 2008

Down Corning silicone sealants do not require drilling and are more flexible than mechanical fasteners they absorb much of the stress caused by thermal expansion and mechanical stress.

As summer beckons a new season of fishermen and recreational boaters, many marine enthusiasts may not realise that their watercraft may be constructed not with bolts or rivets, but with a new silicone-based sealant technology from Dow Corning.

"Until recently, manufacturers of marine products had limited choices when it came to joining parts together without trading off productivity, performance, quality and cost", said Ross Noel, Senior Application Engineer, Dow Corning.

"Silicone sealants offer a better choice for both manufacturers and customers".

Traditional boat assembly with screws and bolts requires holes to be drilled.

This can provide an avenue for water to leak into the instrument panels, cockpit cabinets, cabin and hull.

These holes create pockets for moisture and debris to accumulate, which can lead to leaks, corrosion, contamination and even loosening of the screws and bolts.

Bolts and screws also concentrate tension into stress points that can result in fatigue, crazing and cracking.

To solve these problems, marine manufacturers are turning to new Dow Corning hot melt silicone adhesive sealants.

They do not require drilling so holes and because they are more flexible than mechanical fasteners they absorb much of the stress caused by thermal expansion and mechanical stress.

Manufacturers are also realising productivity and environmental advantages.

The new hot melt sealant forms a strong bond almost immediately, which eliminates bottlenecks in manufacturing caused by waiting for sealants to cure.

In addition, silicone sealant adheres well to materials commonly used in boat assembly such as metal, wood, painted surfaces, glass and plastics.

Find out more about this article. Request a brochure, download technical specifications and request samples here.

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