Assist™Senior Chemist1 · Adhesive Migration Checklist
Sixteen data points define an adhesive application precisely enough to select and qualify an alternative. Collect these before any candidate discussion — they are also the fields of the assessment form, so completing this checklist once feeds the whole programme. Print this page or copy the table into your change-control record.
| Checklist item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 1 · Current adhesive manufacturer & product number | Anchors the published-property comparison and identifies the chemistry family |
| 2 · Substrates (both sides of the joint) | Adhesion is substrate-pair specific; dissimilar pairs (e.g. PC-to-TPE) narrow the field fast |
| 3 · Surface treatment | Plasma, corona, primer or none — changes achievable bond strength and candidate list |
| 4 · Bond-line thickness / gap | Drives viscosity selection and cure-depth requirement |
| 5 · Dispensing method | Needle, jet, film, screen — sets the workable viscosity window |
| 6 · Cure equipment & wavelength | Candidate must cure on the installed source, or the migration cost grows |
| 7 · Cure intensity & duration | Defines the energy actually delivered — the real cure condition to match |
| 8 · Required handling strength / fixture time | Line takt time depends on it |
| 9 · Operating temperature range | Filters candidates by service temperature rating |
| 10 · Chemical exposure | Cleaners, fluids, sterilants the joint must survive |
| 11 · Sterilisation method | EtO, gamma, autoclave — must be verified on the candidate, never assumed |
| 12 · Regulatory requirements | ISO 10993, USP Class VI, UL, RoHS/REACH — determines documentation package |
| 13 · Annual consumption | Sizes the commercial case and the right pack format |
| 14 · Current packaging | Syringe, cartridge, bottle, pail — dead volume and expiry losses live here |
| 15 · Target saving | Defines success and whether the business case justifies qualification effort |
| 16 · Required qualification date | Sets the programme schedule backwards from your deadline |
Prefer a document? The Incure Application Information Form (editable PDF) is the offline equivalent of this checklist and the assessment form — complete it with your team and email it to support@incurelab.com.
2 · Adhesive Comparison Report — standard structure
Incure's standard report gives your change-control file a consistent, auditable format. It states differences plainly: a balanced comparison is more credible — to your auditors and to us — than a claim that any candidate is simply better.
| Report section | Contents |
|---|---|
| 1 · Published-property comparison | Incumbent's current published TDS values beside Incure's published and measured values, property by property |
| 2 · Test methods | The standard behind every number (e.g. lap shear, durometer, elongation), so values compare like-for-like |
| 3 · Incure laboratory results | Measured results on your substrates or standard coupons, as agreed |
| 4 · Identified differences | Explicit statement of where the candidate differs and what that means in process terms |
| 5 · Recommended process settings | Dispense parameters, cure intensity/time for your installed equipment |
| 6 · Outstanding validation work | What remains for your quality system to verify — never silently omitted |
| 7 · Qualification conclusion | Recommendation: proceed, proceed with conditions, or do not migrate |
3 · Sample Qualification Protocol
Adapt to your quality system; delete what does not apply. Incure supplies samples, settings and certificates to support each stage.
| Test | Purpose | Typical acceptance basis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Initial bond strength | Baseline lap shear / tensile vs incumbent on production substrates | Meets drawing spec; parity band vs incumbent agreed in advance |
| 2 · Aged bond strength | Accelerated ageing (heat/humidity) to projected life | Retention ≥ agreed % of initial |
| 3 · Thermal cycling | Joint survives expansion mismatch across service range | No failure, spec strength retained |
| 4 · Humidity ageing | Moisture attack on the bond line | Retention ≥ agreed % of initial |
| 5 · Chemical immersion | Cleaners, fluids, sterilants exposure | Retention ≥ agreed % of initial |
| 6 · Impact / peel | Toughness on flexible or dissimilar joints | Meets drawing spec |
| 7 · Cure-depth verification | Full cure through the actual bond gap at line settings | Durometer / FTIR / section per method |
| 8 · Fluorescence inspection | Existing inspection station detects the new adhesive | Detection at line speed |
| 9 · Sterilisation testing | Bond performance after EtO / gamma / autoclave, where applicable | Retention ≥ agreed % after specified cycles |
| 10 · Production trial | Supervised run on the real line: dispensing, cure, takt, first-pass yield | Capability and yield vs incumbent baseline |
Use it with us or without us. This toolkit is deliberately generic — it works for evaluating any adhesive supplier, not only Incure. If you want it pre-filled for your application, request an assessment and Incure returns the comparison report started, with candidate grades and recommended settings.
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