Several products released in the last year accelerated the race to supply fast-curing adhesives for industrial applications.

Saving time is saving money, and the first product is an instant (fixes in under five seconds), light-curing cyanoacrylate that bonds in visible ultraviolet light. According to the manufacturer, Loctite Corp., the products combine the advantages of light-curing acrylics with instant adhesives.

The adhesive is a single-component acrylic with an accelerator like those used in traditional instant cyanoacrylates. The bond is tack free.

Dan Ryalls, an adhesive specialist with R.S. Hughes in Sunnyvale, Calif., says applications ideal for instant light-curing adhesives include various plastic parts held in jigs for assembly.

"Because the cure starts instantly and continues by itself, polycarbonate devices can be removed from jigs very quickly and sent further along the assembly process. The adhesive continues to moisture cure as it moves along," Ryalls said.

Ambient humidity is enough to cure the adhesive as parts move down the line, he said.

Instant bonding eliminates the need for solvent-based accelerators, said Ryalls. The products are particularly good for assembling medical parts.

"Other adhesives must be fully cured under ultraviolet light before moving the finished assemblies. [Instant adhesives] speed up the assembly process by 50 percent," Ryalls said.

Two new adhesives/sealants are popular for their versatility and safety, according to Andrew Schwartz, president of AJ Adhesives, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo.

"The hottest products right now for industrial applications are moisture-cured urethanes. For automotive sealing, they are the most durable and long lasting, and have no solvents. They literally bond forever," Schwartz said.

Water-cured urethanes require the purchase of specialized equipment and are somewhat harder to handle, but add value to the customer's end product due to longevity and toughness, he said.

"Ten years ago, water-based products took far too long to tack and cure. The water did not evaporate. Today, they work much faster. They can do everything the older products do," he said.

For home and commercial construction, nothing beats liquid urethanes, a new generation of products that bond wood, polystyrene and tin into an impervious roofing and siding material, Schwartz said.

"Urethanes are used to bond load-bearing walls, trusses and roofs. They cure at room temperature, seal out all moisture and can be hand or machine spread," he said.