Welcome to our new video series! For one week, we take you behind the scenes of the Adhesive Practitioner course at Innotech. We accompanied Nina Wolf - she shares her experiences, exciting insights and aha-moments from the course!
Day one - theory, practice & first experiments:
On the first day, we started with the basics of adhesive bonding technology - including an exciting experiment!
Theory:
- Advantages & disadvantages of adhesive bonding technology compared to other joining methods.
- The topic of wetting and how crucial it is.
- Physical vs. chemical processes.
- Occupational safety: Many adhesives, primers & cleaners are hazardous substances - what do you need to be aware of?
Practice:
The water drop test - a simple experiment that shows how differently materials react to adhesives and how surface tension affects bondability. This was followed by the first bonding tests!
Would you like to ask Nina a question about the course in person? Send her a message on LinkedIn: Nina Wolf.
We run the adhesive bonding training courses in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IFAM.
European Adhesive bonder Videodiary: Day 1 – Theory, Practice & first Experiments
Day two of European Adhesive Bonder diary: New adhesive families & practical tests
The second day was all about exciting theoretical and practical insights into the world of adhesives. After a brief recap of day one, we delved deeper into the various adhesive families.
Theory highlights of the day:
- Classification of adhesives according to curing type
- Chemically curing adhesives
- Polyaddition adhesives: polyurethanes & epoxies
- Polycondensation adhesives: silicones & SMP adhesives
Practice:
New bondings & checking the results from the previous day.
Watch the video now & get first impressions!
Day 2 of the European Adhesive Bonder Video diary: New Adhesive Families and practical tests
New knowledge, new tests - insights into day three of the adhesive practitioner course!
After the daily repetition, we went into depth: adhesive families with exciting variants! This was covered.
Theory:
- Polymerization adhesives - their properties & possible applications
- Physically setting adhesives - how they work
- Pressure-sensitive adhesives - adhesives without bonding and their special features
Practice:
New bonding experiments, exciting tests and real aha moments when testing bonded joints!
Watch the video now & immerse yourself in the world of adhesives with Nina Wolf! Tomorrow we'll continue with even more practical knowledge!
New Knowledge, new Tests
Day four of the adhesive practitioner video diary - practice, exams & the big recap!
The week is progressing and day 4 was all about practical exams, quality assurance and a general review of what has been learned. What awaited the participants on day 4?
New theoretical content:
- Surface pre-treatment & preparation - Why clean & activated surfaces are crucial.
- Quality assurance - How do we ensure that a bond lasts in the long term?
- Material types, e.g. focus on metals & plastics Structure and differences in the type of surface pre-treatment.
- Ageing of bonded joints and materials.
Practical discussion & learnings in the afternoon:
All experiments carried out were analyzed again in detail. What worked? What did not? What optimizations are possible?
The big general repetition was the order of the day:
Internalize everything learned, clarify open questions and prepare optimally for the next written exam challenge - with an open end at Innotech for maximum learning success.
Watch the video now & find out how day 4 goes! Stay tuned - the final day of the course starts tomorrow!
Day four of the European Adhesive Bonder: Practice, Exams and the big rehearsal
Day five of our adhesive practitioner video diary - the big exam day!
After an intensive week full of theory, practice and repetition, the time had come: the exam day has arrived! Yesterday the participants had to prove their knowledge - but don't worry, thanks to the targeted preparation at Innotech, the chances are excellent! Read on to find out how the exam day works.
In the morning: briefing & written exam
- All participants receive a briefing: How does the exam work? What rules apply?
- Then the written exam begins with 20 multiple-choice questions - time: 1 hour.
- Special feature at Innotech: The exams are corrected directly on site! This means that participants know whether they have passed the written part before the oral exam.
Oral exam:
- In the oral exam, participants usually compete in groups of 2.
- The examination is conducted by an external examiner, an external assessor and a recorder from Innotech.
- Duration per candidate: approx. 15 minutes - the knowledge acquired is tested in a technical discussion. Attention is paid to knowledge transfer.
- Participants with test anxiety or who have traveled a long distance may be the first to take the test.
The big moment: the presentation of certificates
The final oral examination is followed by the ceremonial conclusion: the presentation of the certificates.
An intense but successful day! Thanks to the numerous repetitions and the general repetition at Innotech, the candidates were well prepared.
Watch the video to see how Nina Wolf and the other participants did! Congratulations to all the newly qualified bonding technicians - you've made it!