Leading supplier Bearings International (BI) carries a wide range of instant and structural bonding adhesives throughout its extensive branch network in South Africa, reports Offer Marketing Manager Victor Strobel.

The range of instant-bonding adhesives available gives a varied fixture time from two to 50 seconds. These are versatile, and able to bond dissimilar products with a high-strength bond. For structural bonding, two-component adhesives are available that can bond a wide variety of materials such as wood, metals, plastic and glass.

“We have been an authorised distributor of LOCTITE® products from Henkel Adhesives for a very long time,” comments Strobel. Henkel Adhesives operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both the industrial and consumer sector thanks to strong brands like LOCTITE®, together with its ongoing innovation and latest technologies.

LOCTITE® is extremely well-known in the industrial and engineering market segments, and is often asked for by name or specified by both manufacturers and OEMs. The entire basket of products meets all the needs of BI’s customers, from threadlocking and gasketing to surface treatment and bonding.

The main products that BI focuses on are threadlocking and thread sealing, adhesives, gasketing, retaining and metal compounds. Threadlocking and sealing are used in applications where bolts come loose due to constant vibration, such as the bolts in car engines or coupling bolts.

Adhesives are used to bond two materials together rapidly, so that parts can be reused, or to speed up production. Gasketing products are used to seal leaking flanges or to reseal a joint where the gasket has been damaged. These types of applications are common in most factories, automotive repair shops and gearbox installations.

Retaining solutions are used where loose bearings, bushes, shafts and cylindrical parts have become worn and oval and need to be strengthened. This occurs in all factories where bearings and shafts are prevalent. Metal compounds are used to rebuild, restore or repair metal parts and assemblies that have become damaged due to wear and tear. This assists in maintaining production, as well as saving on costly replacement parts.

Looking at the latest products available from BI, Strobel points to the new LOCTITE® 518 pen, which combines the leak-fighting properties of 518 flange sealant with a roll-on applicator. This makes applying a liquid flange sealant easier than ever, with no waste or mess. The pen forms a flexible, high-strength, chemical-resistant seal that fills all voids and will not tear or decay. It can be used on rigid iron, aluminium and steel flanged mating surfaces, including surfaces that have minor contamination.

In terms of growth opportunities in the adhesives and sealants sector, most factories and mines in South Africa operate in a harsh climate that takes its toll on moving machinery, meaning that breakdowns are inevitable. “BI’s focus on customer service and satisfaction means we aim to be right there with a solution, whenever a customer requires us. We also ensure the proper surface treatment before the adhesive or sealant is applied,” highlights Strobel. LOCTITE® offers a full range of surface treatment for a wide range of materials.

LOCTITE® has technical support teams and sales representatives countrywide for fast and professional technical support. “Just contact your BI branch or representative, and we will be able to give you the right LOCTITE® product for your application,” concludes Strobel.