Arch Material’s Lap Shear bonding fixtures are fabricated using precision ground flat tooling aluminum.  There are several key advantages of Arch aluminum tools including consistently accurate test results, cost, speed of use, lightweight, ease of use and critical thermal properties.   

 

Tooling aluminum is fabricated specifically for its smooth surface and flatness properties.  Flatness is within 0.005” allowing an individual lap shear specimen flatness of 0.0005”.  This ultra-tight tolerance assures consistent, parallel bond lines for best adhesive test results. 

 

Aluminum has inherent high thermal transfer properties, meaning your parts will see the same temperature as your autoclave, oven or press input temperature with minimal lag time.  This gives you excellent control over temperature ramp-rates, hold temperature and cool down without fear of overshoot.  It’s comforting to know your specimens will see the precise temperature intended regardless of adherend material (aluminum, steel, non-metallic)

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Most adhesive lap shear tests are performed using aluminum adherends.  Aluminum bonding fixtures naturally match the thermal expansion properties of your aluminum adherends helping to prevent differing expansion / retraction rates during heat up or cool down that can be a cause for concern in high temperature cure applications.

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Our tools are designed to closely match ASTM D1002 figure 3 plate dimensions.  High tolerance pins are used to hold plates in precise locations to give straight bonded specimens with proper overlap dimensions.  Precision “spacer” plates are included with each set, to control bond-line thickness, assuring a parallel bond for best test results.  

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The fixtures top plate has slightly larger holes for ease of assembly.  Pins are slightly recessed to allow for either vacuum bagging the assembly, adding dead weight to top plate or installing in press. 

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Spacer plate dimensions are designed to assist in creation of adhesive ‘fillet’ during cure, yielding consistent and accurate test results.  Adhesive fillets in lap shear specimens help maintain true 'shear' mode during testing.  Lap shear tests have the potential to 'rotate' causing dual mode failures shear and peel.  Peeling of adhesive instead of shearing will reduce the shear ultimate load giving lower and likely erroneous values. Proper fillets in test specimens help to stall rotation and prevent peel failure when attempting a shear test.  ( It is our opinion that properly machined lap shear plates will also help maintain shear failure. )  The hole-to-edge dimension of our spacers help maintain good lap shear specimen fillets and best test results.

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Included with each Lap Shear Bonding Fixture Assembly:

1 - Bottom Plate

1 - Top Plate

8 - Alignment Pins

2 each – 0.064”, 0.020”, 0.010” and 0.005” Spacer Plates

4 – Reusable Release Sheets

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Arch Material Services Lap Shear Plates and Bonding Fixtures are precision machined to match ASTM D1002 specifications. 

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Slotted Lap Shear Plates create extremely accurate, very consistent test results with an easy and highly repeatable process. 

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Bonding Fixtures are readily available in ½” overlap (standard), 1” overlap, 3/8” overlap and can be designed for 4” (standard) and 5.1” long plates.  Custom and Combination (multiple overlap and/or length) Fixtures are also available.

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Arch Material Lap Shear Plates and Bonding Fixtures deliver your best process for consistent specimens and accurate, repeatable results.