3M Electronics Bonding: Designing Devices with the Best Solutions

While some may know 3M primarily for their tapes, 3M offers so much more. They are a global team that stands by your side from concept to manufacturing. Like you, they have their eye on the future—devices optimized for the IoT, 5G, and beyond—and they want to help you navigate through new technologies. Whether you’re developing a smartphone, Bluetooth speaker, wearable, smart home device, or simply need inspiration, 3M is here to help with a full range of products. From thin bonding double-sided tapes, adhesive transfer tapes, to foam tapes and liquid adhesives, their market-proven selection of consumer electronics solutions is designed with your needs in mind, so you can keep moving forward.

3M understands your design challenges. From impact resistance to waterproofing and workability, they rigorously test their tapes and liquid adhesives and provide the data you need to help predict material behavior. Together, 3M and ABLE combine science and state-of-the-art testing so there’s less time worrying about material capabilities and more time focusing on what customers desire most—a reliable device with unhindered functionality.

In this article, we’ll be exploring the electronic bonding solutions from 3M – one of ABLE’s partners in providing only the best solutions.

Addressing Design and Assembly Hurdles with Electronic Bonding Adhesives

Protect your devices from impact, water, chemicals, and other challenges. Achieve confident bonding of small and delicate components, even on complex form factors or low-surface-energy substrates. Find the perfect balance of functionality, reliability, and brand visual identity.

3M provides a wide range of liquid adhesives and ultra-thin tapes for bonding electronics of all shapes and sizes. With extensive expertise in adhesive technology and materials science, backed by global support resources and laboratory capabilities, engineers are empowered to push boundaries while effectively managing risks. Design cutting-edge devices and exceed your customers’ expectations with 3M’s assistance.

Here are some of the challenges that 3M can provide solutions for: 

Heat Resistance

Ensure product reliability with 3M’s electronics bonding solutions in hot and humid climates. Their tapes and liquid adhesives are designed to withstand UV exposure, humidity, and heat from device operation. Our products excel in extreme environments with applications in display bonding, battery bonding, FPC bonding, component bonding, OLED displays, and solder reflow. Whether you’re developing smartphones, automotive displays, notebooks, wearables, or other electronic devices, trust 3M for reliable and high-performance bonding solutions.

Reworkability

3M offers specialized tapes and liquid adhesives designed to improve efficiency in electronics manufacturing. These solutions are intended to help companies save costs during manufacturing by facilitating component reuse. This makes screen repair and battery replacement easier. They also aid in the recovery and recycling of components and materials at the end of the product life cycle. 3M’s electronics bonding applications provide solutions for battery bonding, front cover bonding, back cover bonding, flexible OLED display bonding, and A-cover bonding. These solutions are suitable for use in devices such as smartphones, notebooks, tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers, providing reliable and efficient bonding options for a wide range of electronics manufacturers.

Hard-to-Bond Surfaces

3M understands that new designs may require bonding of diverse substrates such as plastics, metals, and other hard-to-bond materials. 3M has developed tapes and liquid adhesives that provide strong and reliable bonds, offering confidence throughout every phase of a project. These solutions are intended to provide high initial bond strength to low surface energy substrates, offer a range of chemistries to suit different substrates, and eliminate the need for primers or surface treatments. Applications of 3M’s solutions include component bonding, speaker gaskets, home buttons, fabric keyboards, and accessories, and these solutions are suitable for use in devices such as smartphones and smart speakers.

Curved and Foldable Surfaces

3M understands that manufacturers strive to unleash the latest designs in consumer electronics, and as a bonding solutions provider, 3M is ready to help them succeed. With a range of tapes and liquid adhesives, 3M offers solutions for complex bonding needs, including curved, foldable, or flexible surfaces. These bonding solutions from 3M are designed to provide excellent anti-lifting properties, conformability for design flexibility, reliable long-term bond, ability to bridge dimensional mismatches, and a wide range of moduli of liquid adhesives and tapes. Applications include front cover bonding, back cover bonding, and flexible OLED display bonding, and these solutions are suitable for use in devices such as smartphones, emerging foldable notebooks, emerging foldable tablets, and wearables.

Chemical Resistance

Each day, devices encounter a range of common chemicals. From using household cleaners, lotions, and soaps near smart home devices, to skin oils on a smartwatch, bonds need to be tested against various consumer and bodily chemicals to help provide reliability in different environments. 3M offers solutions to resist sweat, sunscreen, many household cleaners, skin oils, water, cosmetics, and more. These solutions also offer a protective, water-resistant seal and the ability to resist potential exposures and different amounts of exposure, enabling more design freedom. Applications include front cover bonding, wristbands, and FPC bonding, and these solutions are suitable for wearables, smartphones, and medical devices.

Water Resistance

A solid, water-resistant bond is crucial whether a device is spilled on in the kitchen or spends its life outdoors. 3M offers extensive tape and liquid adhesive bonding solutions resistant to different amounts of water and water pressure, allowing electronic devices to stand up to the elements. Solutions and guidance from 3M are intended to offer conformability, with a wide range of soft and firm materials available, better gap-filling capabilities, and tailored recommendations for specific designs. These solutions can be applied in various applications such as display bonding, button gaskets, speaker gaskets, and camera decoration ring bonding. They are suitable for use in smartphones, wearables, and security cameras.

Impact Resistance

3M’s line of tape and liquid bonding solutions for electronics are designed to provide durability and functionality, ensuring devices can withstand the rigors of everyday life, including drops, shocks, and vibrations. With 3M’s solutions and guidance, devices can hold together and maintain good adhesion while benefiting from shock absorption that helps prevent components and screens from breaking. These solutions can be tailored to specific designs, allowing for the identification of the most suitable bonding solution on a design-by-design basis. Applications for these solutions include display bonding, front cover bonding, back cover bonding, and battery bonding. They are suitable for use in smartphones, smart speakers, and smartwatches, among other devices.

Enhancing Device Durability: 3M’s Bonding Capabilities for Consumer Electronics

Discover the perfect 3M electronics bonding solution to bring your next big idea in consumer electronics to life. With 3M’s extensive range of tapes and liquid adhesives, designed for applications such as flexible and foldable OLED display bonding, enclosure bonding, and FPC bonding, you can tackle challenging device bonding needs with confidence. Let 3M be your partner in unlocking more design and performance opportunities for your devices. 

3M’s wide variety of electronics bonding tapes and liquid adhesives are ideal for both internal and external components, ensuring that your devices hold strong from the inside out. Address multiple design challenges without sacrificing durability with 3M’s advanced bonding solutions.

Camera Lens Bonding

Cameras in consumer electronics devices are increasingly becoming a critical feature for users, with constant technological advancements driving demand for innovative bonding solutions. 3M offers a range of tapes and liquid adhesives specifically designed to protect intricate camera components from the effects of daily use, such as drops and spills. Our solutions are not only resistant to high tensile impacts and are designed to withstand water exposure and common chemicals like sweat, sunscreen, cleaners, skin oils, and perfumes. Moreover, 3M provides optimized bonding solutions for curved and foldable surfaces, allowing for greater design flexibility and fewer barriers to creativity. Overcome design challenges related to water resistance, curved and foldable surfaces, chemical resistance, and impact resistance with 3M’s cutting-edge bonding solutions.

FPC Bonding

In the realm of consumer electronics, a reliable and durable bond for flexible printed circuits (FPC) is essential for the optimal performance of key device conductors. 3M offers a wide range of FPC bonding tapes that provide strong adhesion while tackling various design challenges. 3M’s bonding solutions are designed to help FPC substrates adhere to curved surfaces, and hard-to-bond surfaces like glass and plastic, or withstand high temperatures where needed. Additionally, 3M offers solutions resistant to water or common chemicals, providing an extra layer of protection. Overcome design challenges related to heat resistance, curved and foldable surfaces, and hard-to-bond surfaces with 3M’s advanced FPC bonding tapes.

Display Bonding

With the advancement of LCD and OLED screens, the bonding solutions that hold them together have also evolved. 3M offers ultra-thin display panel bonding tapes that are ideal for navigating foldable and curved devices, making them suitable for next-generation device applications. Their tape solutions boast outstanding anti-lifting, oxidation resistance, conformability, and cleanliness properties, ensuring both visual appeal and durability. Additionally, 3M’s solutions can address challenges related to impact resistance, chemical resistance, water resistance, and curved and foldable surfaces, helping to enhance device reliability in various environmental conditions. Trust 3M’s innovative bonding solutions to meet the design challenges of modern display panels in consumer electronics.

Enclosure Bonding

3M offers a wide range of bonding solutions for consumer electronics, including cover glass and back cover applications. Their tapes and liquid adhesives are designed to provide exceptional bonding strength, protecting devices from accidental glass damage and ensuring reliability. For cover glass bonding, 3M’s solutions offer secure bonding for edge-to-edge devices with minimal bonding surfaces and excellent energy absorption. They also offer solutions resistant to water and common liquids, reducing the impact of daily use. Back covers are addressed with high-strength tapes that offer options for impact resistance, water resistance, chemical resistance, and reworkability, with formulations optimized for curved surfaces. Trust 3M’s bonding solutions for consumer electronics to overcome design challenges and achieve both durability and performance.

Performance Meets Precision: Electronic Adhesives for Smart Device Applications.

The expanding market of IoT-connected smart devices, such as speakers, cameras, smartwatches, and wireless headphones, is driving innovation in design and assembly. With double-digit growth predicted in the next 5 years, the possibilities for smart devices are limitless. However, designing and assembling these devices come with unique bonding challenges, from aesthetics to durability. 3M offers a broad continuum of electronics bonding solutions to tackle these challenges and support those who are shaping the future of smart device design and assembly.

Smart Speakers and Displays

Smart speakers and smart displays play a vital role in modern connected homes, managing multiple devices and keeping us connected in various activities. These devices often feature curved surfaces, complex form factors, and low-surface-energy substrates, requiring flexible and versatile bonding solutions that balance functionality and aesthetics.

3M offers a range of electronic adhesive tapes that can bond difficult surfaces and substrates in smart speakers and displays, including glass, metal, fabric, plastic, and foam. These tapes create a sturdy and permanent seal while meeting industry drop-test requirements for high-impact resistance.

Some of the featured products from 3M for smart device bonding include 3M VHB Tape 5909, 3M Double Coated Tissue Tape 9448A, 3M Electronic Double Sided Tape 9119, and 3M Double Coated Tape 9731. These tapes provide solutions for bonding complex form factors in speaker mesh, display screens, lens bonding for impact resistance and protection from water and chemicals, display bonding for high-strength bonding of plastics to glass, and speaker foam bonding for bonding strength to foam substrates. Additionally, 3M offers bonding solutions for silicon foot bonding that ensure excellent bonding strength.

Smart Security

A smart home prioritizes smart security, with devices such as smart baby monitors, video doorbells, and wireless security camera systems both indoors and outdoors, helping homeowners stay alert around the clock. These devices, including cameras and electronic locks, require design flexibility to blend seamlessly into the background while delivering consistent and reliable performance, as anything less would not suffice.

3M offers electronics bonding solutions for securing indoor and outdoor security devices. With products such as 3M VHB Tape 4914, 3M Adhesive Transfer Tape 9471LE, and 3M Scotch-Weld One-Part Epoxy Adhesive 6101 OW, these bonding solutions provide reliable shock absorption and protection from water and UV rays. They offer robust adhesion to rubber and TPU, high shear strength, and a pull force of over 50 N, instilling a sense of security for homeowners. With 3M’s electronics bonding solutions, designers and assemblers can confidently create bonds that meet the demands of smart security devices in terms of durability, performance, and reliability.

Home Robots

Robots require advanced electronics bonding materials for joining difficult substrates and protecting against impact, water, chemicals, and other hazards. 3M offers double-coated tapes like 3M Double Coated Tape 9495LE and 3M Double Coated Tissue Tape 9448A that provide high adhesion and shock resistance for bonding silicone components and low-surface-energy surfaces. These bonding solutions ensure reliable performance in demanding environments, helping to protect robots in various household applications.

Drones

Drones require strong, durable, and lightweight electronics assembly adhesives for their design. 3M offers bonding materials that provide impact resistance, vibration damping, and anti-lifting properties, while being significantly lighter than mechanical fasteners. These bonding solutions, such as 3M™ VHB™ Tape 5980 and 3M™ Conformable Double Coated Tape 93425, also offer excellent UV stability and high temperature strength, making them ideal for drone applications that require exposure to direct sunlight. Additionally, 3M provides tapes specifically designed for thin bond lines, offering shock absorption and sealing for remote control display screens. Trust 3M for reliable bonding solutions that help drones go where other devices cannot.

Smartwatches

Smartwatches are designed to be constant companions, managing media, tracking vitals, and keeping users connected all day long. 3M offers high-strength tapes and chemically resistant adhesives that provide reliable performance in challenging environments. Their bonding solutions for smartwatches include lens bonding, FPC bonding, and battery bonding, with excellent bonding strength for fabrics and other wristband materials. Choose 3M for durable and reliable bonding solutions for smartwatches.

Hearables and TWS

3M offers versatile and flexible bonding materials for hearables and TWS devices. Their electronic adhesives provide shock absorption, chemical resistance, and strong adhesion to various substrates. With good jetting performance, fast curing, and long stability, 3M’s bonding solutions are ideal for small components in earbuds and other devices. Choose 3M for reliable and durable bonding solutions for your audio devices.

AR/VR Headsets

3M offers a range of bonding solutions for AR/VR devices, including tapes and liquid adhesives. These products are designed to bond lenses and curved surfaces, providing excellent stability and impact resistance for metal and glass components. Their double-coated tapes are ideal for attaching curved pieces to foam, plastic, and other low-surface-energy substrates, allowing for creative and imaginative designs. Choose 3M for reliable bonding solutions that enhance the immersion and comfort of AR/VR devices.

3M is more than just a provider of tapes. They are a global team of experts dedicated to helping their customers navigate the ever-evolving world of consumer electronics. With a wide range of products, including thin bonding double-sided tapes, adhesive transfer tapes, foam tapes, and liquid adhesives, 3M offers market-proven solutions designed to address the unique challenges of electronic bonding. Partnering with ABLE, 3M brings together science and state-of-the-art testing to ensure reliable and high-performing devices. Their extensive expertise in adhesive technology and materials science, along with their global support resources and laboratory capabilities, empower engineers to push boundaries and design cutting-edge devices that exceed customer expectations.

When it comes to electronic bonding solutions, 3M is a trusted partner for achieving only the best results. So, whether you’re developing a smartphone, wearable, smart home device, or any other consumer electronics, count on 3M to provide the innovative solutions you need to keep moving forward into the future of technology.

Interested in learning more? Contact ABLE today, and we’ll be more than happy to assist you! 

References:

https:// www.3m.com/3M/en_US/consumer-electronics-us/applications/electronics-bonding/
https:// www.3m.com/3M/en_US/consumer-electronics-us/applications/electronics-bonding/smart-devices-bonding/
https:// www.3m.com/3M/en_US/consumer-electronics-us/applications/electronics-bonding/design-challenges/
https:// www.3m.com/3M/en_US/consumer-electronics-us/applications/electronics-bonding/capabilities/