Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) offer numerous advantages for aerospace assembly. PSAs enable assembly of dissimilar materials with a continuous bond area. PSAs more uniformly distribute stresses and strains. PSAs preserve the strength and integrity of the materials to be joined, because they do not require holes to be punched or drilled in the substrates. Since PSAs do not require curing time, they are faster than liquid adhesives. And finally, with no rivet or screw heads protruding from the surface of the substrate, PSAs improve aesthetics.
There are a variety of applications for PSAs in aerospace assembly.