Hello everyone,
I am looking for a type of glue or similar material to bond large components (eg inductors, capacitors..) to the PCB, with the goal of suppressing vibrations.
Ideally something that can come off in case I need to replace any of the components.
Do you folks have any preferred products that you would suggest or any products that you hate and I should stay away from?
Thanks in advance for the responses
I am looking for a type of glue or similar material to bond large components (eg inductors, capacitors..) to the PCB, with the goal of suppressing vibrations.
Ideally something that can come off in case I need to replace any of the components.
Do you folks have any preferred products that you would suggest or any products that you hate and I should stay away from?
Thanks in advance for the responses
I actually didn‘t know of a PCBA-specific S. I just know that many use it for everything, and that it forever emits solvents, vinegar, and plasticizers(?). I’m working in construction, using sensitive materials, silicone and its abuse is hell for me. So my opinion is biased…
E6000. Stupid name for a glue or anything else. So I do not know the composition of this adhesive. I will say that it cures pretty fast, and what caught may attention was watching the spider web type string keep stretching as you pull away from the point being adhered to. This tiny string will still stretch far and have strength. This adhesive dries to not a soft touch but not rock hard either. I have used it for unusual cases such as keeping a damping compound in place when the surface might not hold the damping compound tightly. I have run a bead of it along a seam in a chassis to prevent a rattle or vibration not solve by bolts alone. Yes, I am very aware of vibrations, rattles and general strength in a chassis and how important that they are to me.
For removal, this adhesive won't give up easily, but will finally start to release at one corner and you have to be patient.
I have been known to run a bead along the edge of a vinyl damping sheet to ensure the marriage of that sheet all the way to its edge.
Now having said all of this, an alternative can be used. That would be 'temporary' sealant used in say window air conditioner units that will be removed at the end of a season. This stuff is kind of hard to find but well worth the effort when needed.
Finally, as to your specific question, it is the E6000 that I use for components on a circuit board.
For removal, this adhesive won't give up easily, but will finally start to release at one corner and you have to be patient.
I have been known to run a bead along the edge of a vinyl damping sheet to ensure the marriage of that sheet all the way to its edge.
Now having said all of this, an alternative can be used. That would be 'temporary' sealant used in say window air conditioner units that will be removed at the end of a season. This stuff is kind of hard to find but well worth the effort when needed.
Finally, as to your specific question, it is the E6000 that I use for components on a circuit board.
For the same needed I satisfactorily use this type of 2mm thick acrylic tape (no tie with any seller) wherever it is useful, cutting it into the shape desired.
For even greater thicknesses, simply overlap it.
It is highly adhesive and damping, but removable without too much difficulty and even reusable (washing it with warm water and then dried) since it does not lose its adhesive and damping capacity.
I have used this silicone sealant and adhesive to form driver gaskets:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/p...nville-black-silicone-sealant-40g-173867.html
It remains permanently flexible. As well as helping to suppress vibrations, it will allow components to be removed at a later date if required.
Note that a heavy component would benefit from additional support in the form of a cable tie.
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/p...nville-black-silicone-sealant-40g-173867.html
It remains permanently flexible. As well as helping to suppress vibrations, it will allow components to be removed at a later date if required.
Note that a heavy component would benefit from additional support in the form of a cable tie.
It is just my opinion but a stiff adhesive would conduct vibration and transmit it to whatever it is adhered to. A 'softer' adhesive may dampen the vibration, but at what frequency range? I like the silicone tape idea because pulling the tape at different rates/lengths will affect how it conducts(passes) or damps vibration. There have been some cases a long time ago where I was using Sorbothane washers at circuit board screw attachments to try and damp vibrations right from its first entry of mechanical vibration. It gets as complex as you make it.
A flexible material absorbs vibrational energy as it stretches and compresses, converting it into heat energy.
It depends, there is no generalization that you can apply to every circumstance: each case has its own characteristics and its own most suitable solution.
You asked the following
Generally speaking, components are bonded to the PCB by their soldering points, and this is all.
Then once again it depends on the address of a PCB and its components.
There are manufacturers who flood their crossovers with resin inside their loudspeakers, but very few designers would do the same with the PCB of a preamp (unless they do so to protect a trade secret), just as an example.
My suggestion is that you should also listen to the result of what you have done. after you have moved from theory to practice.
In this regard, I'll tell you about a recent experience of mine.
I wanted to replace a power resistor in the crossover of my loudspeakers from a carbon type to a wirewound type.
Since I had already modified the bases where the binding posts reside by replacing them with 1/2 inch polycarbonate sheets, I attached that not enormous wirewound resistor with "my" acrylic tape to the polycarbonate base.
Listening to the "result" there was something that didn't convince me and it seemed to me that the sound had gotten worse.
So I removed the acrylic tape and fixed the resistor with a modest amount of hot melt glue.
I was satisfied with the result and it is still fixed that way on its polycarbonate base.
Fully agreed.
Yes, and there is a reason for "tar".
It has been replaced by butylic materials
https://www.secondskinaudio.com/sound-deadening/butyl-sealant-tape
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/butyl-sealants-vibration-sound-dampening-
Please note that I'm not an expert in damping materials, but I know that every material has its own characteristics that place it in a specific field of use.
Rubber, silicone, acrylic, foam, elastic springs all have a preferential and technically justifiable field of use.
Just as an example, and even if they do not have a specific damping purpose, I'm reminded of the tappet cover gaskets of a combustion engine which were and still are made of cork.
Today they also make them in plastic, but many mechanics still prefer them in cork, and there is definitely a specific reason for this: cork's great ability to adapt (and resist) two rigid metal surfaces that will never be perfectly ground.
Back to driver gasket - IMO - such an elastic material like silicone to seal a loudspeaker driver is not the best solution either from a technical or sound point of view, because an absorbent, pasty, adaptable material is needed, a mouldable material which adapts permanently between metal and wood, not a material like silicone which is really too elastic and has its own shape.
Furthermore silicon is not compliant and does not conform to micro-gaps between wood and metal.
To be honest, I don't like silicone as a damping material, not even to use it as the feet of an audio device, but once again it's just my opinion.
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Interesting.
And how much dampening capacity does this "something" have?
Of course there are exceptions.
IMO If the component or the small PCB is fixed to a heavy and already well damped cabinet/case, then a rigid and firm contact/tightening could give better vibrationing/listening results than an additional and redundant layer of damping material.
Of course, it's the same debate of speakers with a soft gasket ( for those that hope that it's the way to so it) that use regular traction bolts, same here: if you lay a component ( that you fear that might suffer from a hostile environment) on a soft base, the vibrating leads of the component make the joint to be the weak point.
The scattered chaotic method seems the best, and well adopted.
And of course if the reason to do it is for a crossover network, the optimal method is to prevent the vibration to arrive to the component, i.e. put it outside of the box
Of course... not touching the box!
In a very friendly way and since I'm probably a "little" autistic please note that I like precision in (at least, my) communication (that's the only reason why I re-quoted some posts) and I was asking about the damping properties of what you had called "something" just because the OP was asking for dampening material, easily removable, for large components.
To be honest I think that a thin layer of polyurethane sprayed on components soldered on a PCB will dampen a bit the vibrations, perhaps, but not too much, I guess.
Perhaps smallest components benefit more.
Furthermore I believe that polyurethane once cross-linked is almost impossible to remove from components.
Just my two cents.