CERRITOS, Calif.—R.D. Abbott Co. Inc. has reached a distribution agreement with Lord Corp. covering North America.
The pact allows R.D. Abbott to distribute Lord's In-Mold Bonding-branded adhesives in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The product line effectively bonds platinum-cured liquid silicone rubber to other various substrates—including silicone and thermoplastic molded parts, aluminum, steel, magnesium and glass—directly during an injection or compression molding process.
The adhesives reduce secondary operations like plasma treatments and other complex surface preparation steps. R.D. Abbott said the new technology increases throughput and can save manufacturers considerable time and expense.
The technology is best suited for cell phone cases, wearable technology, consumer products, handles and grips, electrical connectors, and critical automotive and aerospace components.
"Throughout our 68-year partnership with Lord Corp., R.D. Abbott has remained a collaborative ally grounded in reliable materials, quality service and operational excellence," Scott Kearns, RDA's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "We are grateful for this new opportunity and are confident in our ability to advance their market share and to discover innovative applications for their IMB adhesives."
Based in Cerritos, R.D. Abbott is a full-service distributor that's been serving the rubber industry since 1948 with elastomeric polymers, rubber chemicals, fillers, bonding agents and testing equipment.
Lord is a diversified technology and manufacturing company that produces adhesives, coatings, motion management devices and sensing technologies. It is headquartered in Cary, N.C., with a presence in 26 countries, including 19 manufacturing facilities and 10 research and development centers.