need help with adhesive for tank treads

Posted by monty on August 1, 2008, 1:04 pm

Hello,

I am building a trracked robot based on Actel plastic conveyor treads.
The problem I am having is attaching rubber pads to the treads. Actel
is a "slippery" plastic and things like contact cewment and 5 min
epoxy do not stick to it. I want the rubber to aid in traction and
minimize damage to floors.

I have also tried pop-rivets and small screw and nuts. The screws work
best but I haven't found a way to recess the heads so they are below
the level of the rubber tracks. Rubber is hard to counter sink.

Does any one know of a adhesive that will stick to Actel and rubber?
Or a way to sucessfully counter sink Rubber?

The rubber is actually rubber matting and appears to have a cloth of
some type embedded in it.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Monty

Posted by steamer on August 1, 2008, 1:10 pm

--Here's a site you'll find really useful for selecting the right
adhesive: http://www.thistothat.com/

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : "Hold on! we're passing
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : through the moronosphere!"
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

Posted by Gordon McComb on August 1, 2008, 1:54 pm

monty wrote:

> Does any one know of a adhesive that will stick to Actel and rubber?

You need to find out what type of plastic Actel is. If it's something
like a high or low density polyethylene, you're going to have trouble
finding solvents or glues that will adhere to it. Once you determine the
plastic used, consult with a plastics distributor near you for
*available* solvents/glues that you could use. I say "available" because
while there are bonding products for just about all plastics, they're
not always available to the public, either because of their health
dangers, or because they require specialized application procedures.

The other thing to do is contact the makers of this Actel conveyor belt
stuff and ask them for advise.

For countersinking rubber, sufficient pressure should cause a detent
from the fastener, which might pull the head of the fastener below the
level of the surface. But odds are eventually the head will pop through
the rubber, and your pad will come off.

-- Gordon

Posted by Clifford Heath on August 4, 2008, 8:01 am

Gordon McComb wrote:

> monty wrote:

>> Does any one know of a adhesive that will stick to Actel and rubber?

>
> You need to find out what type of plastic Actel is. If it's something
> like a high or low density polyethylene, you're going to have trouble
> finding solvents or glues that will adhere to it.

Right, PE is very hard. However, you might have success with Sikaflex,
available in various grades (I've used the deck sealant) or even with
PL Premium, a cheap construction adhesive, which is truly excellent
and with luck, findable in your local hardware. Both are poly-urethane
based.

Clifford Heath.

Posted by cadcoke4 on August 1, 2008, 8:25 pm

If you can't countersink the rubber, perhaps you can use smaller
pieces of rubber that you do countersink, and then bolt those to the
belt.

Another off-the-wall idea... I've seen vinyl coated staples used to
hold down electric wire runs. Perhaps you can push these staples
through the belt from the outside, and then hammer down the other
side.

Joe Dunfee

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