Fastening Points

At bigHead Bonding Fasteners, we recognise the pivotal role that collaboration with our customers and partners plays in crafting the best solution. By actively engaging with industry leaders, such as 3M, known for pioneering adhesive innovations, we strive to enhance our ability to address challenges and deliver robust solutions tailored to our customers’ needs.

3M bonding and assembly experts meet with members of the bigHead customer solutions and development team

bigHead fasteners are designed to facilitate secure and serviceable fastening of composite materials, whether embedded within the composite material or adhered to the composite via surface bonding. Surface bonding installations require specification of a suitable adhesive to secure the fastener to the composite substrate. The optimal adhesive varies based on the materials used and the specific application requirements (such as in-service loading and temperature resistance). Members of our development team recently visited 3M at their UK headquarters in Bracknell to explore how 3M supports its customers through this adhesive specification process, from adhesive recommendations through to detailed mechanical testing and surface inspection programmes. This visit also served as an opportunity for us to investigate how we can combine our expertise in composite fastening with 3M’s wealth of experience in the development of adhesive bonding solutions to offer customers a holistic solution for surface bonding installation of bigHead fasteners.

This visit not only provided valuable insights but also fostered a closer relationship between 3M and bigHead. Putting faces to names, discussing the intricacies of adhesive bonding on composite surfaces, and sharing expertise, all contribute to enhanced solutions for our customers. Moreover, 3M’s expansive global presence and distribution network, coupled with our own through Bossard, allows us to seamlessly connect our customers with the most appropriate contacts within 3M’s global network.

Building and nurturing such close relationships are important in ensuring that our customers receive the best possible support and solutions. Through collaborative initiatives like the one with 3M, we aim to not only meet but exceed our customers’ expectations by staying at the forefront of advancements in composite fastening technology.

Find out how we can assist your composite fastening decisions by visiting our bigHead Configurations page.