MATERIAL EXPERTISE
MMA / METHACRYLATE ADHESIVES
Methyl Methacrylate Adhesives (MMA) are high-performance, twocomponent structural adhesives used where fast cure, exceptional bond strength, and the ability to join dissimilar materials are critical to production.
MMA adhesives are self-etching - meaning they chemically prepare the substrate surface during bonding, often eliminating the need for primers or surface treatment.
WHAT ARE MMA ADHESIVES?
Methyl methacrylate adhesives - commonly known as MMA or structural acrylics - are two component reactive adhesives that cure at room temperature to form high-strength structural bonds. Unlike epoxy adhesives, which typically require clean, prepared surfaces, MMA adhesives are self-etching: they chemically activate the substrate surface during application, providing excellent adhesion to metals, composites, thermoplastics, glass, and wood with minimal surface preparation.
MMA adhesives cure rapidly, with fixture times typically between 3 and 15 minutes depending on formulation, making them significantly faster than most twocomponent epoxies. The cured bond offers exceptional resistance to tensile, peel, cleavage, and impact forces, as well as resistance to oils, greases, moisture, and weathering.
These properties make MMA the preferred structural adhesive for demanding production environments where speed, strength, and durability must all be met simultaneously.
Both components of an MMA adhesive system are typically high viscosity - around 50,000 mPas - which means they cannot be gravity-fed and require positivedisplacement metering with follower plates. The material is also corrosive, requiring stainless steel wetted components in the metering and pumping system.
These processing characteristics make MMA adhesives one of the more demanding material types to meter accurately, and one where 2KM’s gear pump technology and drum-fed follower plate systems offer a genuine engineering advantage.
KEY PROCESSING NOTES
Self-etching - chemically prepares the substrate surface during bonding, reducing or eliminating the need for primers.
Requires stainless steel pumps due to the corrosive nature of the methacrylate chemistry.
Both components are highly viscous (greater than 50,000 mPas) - always requires a machine with follower plates.
Typically processed from 205 litre drums or 30 litre pails - cannot be gravity-fed.
Mix ratios commonly 1:1 or 10:1 depending on formulation.
Rapid fixture times (3-15 minutes) - pot life management is critical in production.
Room temperature cure - no ovens or heat treatment required.
May require a dynamic mixing head for certain high-viscosity formulations.
Typical Applications
MMA ADHESIVES ARE USED IN STRUCTURAL AND SEMI-STRUCTURAL BONDING APPLICATIONS WHERE RAPID CURE, HIGH BOND STRENGTH, AND THE ABILITY TO JOIN DISSIMILAR SUBSTRATES ARE REQUIRED.
STRUCTURAL BONDING
COMPOSITE BONDING
Panel Assembly
Marine Assembly
Magnet Bonding
Sign Manufacturing
General Industrial Assembly
Bonding Dissimilar Materials
- Structural bonding of metals - composites, thermoplastics, glass, and wood.
- Wind turbine blade bonding - structural adhesive for clamshell blade assembly.
- Marine composite bonding - hull panels, deck structures, structural joints.
- Automotive structural bonding - panel assembly, motorsport composites.
- Electric motor magnet bonding - permanent magnet assembly for EV motors.
- Furniture manufacturing - metal and glass structural joints.
- Signage - structural bonding of aluminium composite panels.
INDUSTRIES USING MMA ADHESIVES
MMA adhesives are specified across sectors where structural bonding speed and strength are critical to production throughput and product performance.
Wind Energy & Renewables - structural bonding of turbine blade shells using MMA adhesive systems, processed through PGM 400/420 machines with mass flowmeter monitoring
Marine - composite hull bonding, structural joints, deck assembly using MMA adhesives for their moisture and weathering resistance
Automotive - panel bonding, structural assembly, motorsport composite joints where rapid fixture time is critical
General Industrial - metal-to-metal and metal-tocomposite structural bonding across manufacturing, furniture, signage, and construction
Recommended
2KM MACHINES FOR MMA PROCESSING
MMA adhesives require specialist metering equipment: stainless steel wetted components to resist the corrosive chemistry, follower plates to handle the high viscosity of both components, and precise ratio control to maintain bond integrity. The following 2KM machines are configured for MMA processing.
PGM 400
The primary machine for MMA adhesive processing. Follower plates dispense both viscous components directly from 205 litre drums or 20 litre pails. Flow rates up to 10 litres per minute. Electronically variable ratio and flow control with options for PLC upgrade and mass flowmeter monitoring. The PGM 400 is the machine most commonly specified for wind energy blade bonding with MMA adhesives.
PGM 420
The advanced variant of the PGM 400 platform features full PLC control with a 10-inch touchscreen and mass flowmeter monitoring for ratio verification. Specified where process documentation and traceability are required - particularly in wind energy and aerospace applications where mix ratio accuracy must be recorded.
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SUPPLIER COMPATIBILITY
2KM systems are designed to work with materials from a wide range of manufacturers, giving customers flexibility rather than locking them into a single supplier ecosystem.
The PGM 400 is compatible with products from leading global material manufacturers, meaning customers can continue working with their preferred suppliers while benefiting from 2KM equipment performance and reliability.
Rather than being tied to one brand, customers can confidently use approved materials from multiple manufacturers across their operation.
This supplier-independent approach supports:
- Easier integration into existing production lines.
- Reduced material supply risk through multi-source capability.
- Improved cost control through competitive supplier pricing.
- Compatibility with established formulations already validated in production.
MMA ADHESIVES WE PROCESS
| MANUFACTURER | KEY PRODUCT LINES |
|---|---|
| ITW Plexus | Plexus MA300, MA310, MA320, MA420, MA425, MA530, MA832 |
| Permabond | TA4246, TA4610, TA4631, TA4200 series, structural acrylic range |
| Scigrip | SG230, SG300, SG350L, SG400, SG600, SG800, SG5000 |
| Bondloc | B3298, B3299, B3420, B3422, BE490-40 |
| Scott Bader | Crestabond M1-04SL, M1-04, M1-05, M1-10, M1-20, M1-30, M1-60HV/2, M1-90HV/2, M7-04, M7-05, M7-15, PP-04 |
| Henkel | Loctite AA3412, AA3295, AAH3101, AAV5004 |
| Forgeway | Purok VX60, VX61, VX65, VX67, VX70, VX90 |
Get In Touch
Processing MMA adhesives requires specialist metering equipment configured for corrosive, high-viscosity materials.
Our engineering team can advise on the right machine, pump configuration, and mixing system for your specific MMA formulation and production requirements.
Call us today on +44 (0) 1527 834 720 or email us at sales@2km.co.uk
Or complete the form below and we'll be in touch to discuss your application.
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With nearly 50 years of continuous research and development, we stay at the forefront of manufacturing innovation in metering and dispensing technology.
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Our expertise spans extreme material behaviours and complex process requirements across eleven industries - from wind energy to medical devices to subsea applications.
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Our committed team of 10 is at the heart of our success. We design, build, and commission every machine from our UK facility in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.