Permabond

Permabond is a global manufacturer of high-performance engineering adhesives and sealants for UAVs, unmanned systems and UAM (Urban Air Mobility) platforms. With seven decades of experience developing bonding solutions for industrial applications, the company operates across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, supported by two ISO 9001-certified production facilities and an international network of technical specialists and distributors.

The company’s products support a wide range of construction and assembly operations and can join composites, metals, plastics, rubber and more, providing the strength, vibration resistance and environmental durability required for reliable operation in the most demanding of environments.

Adhesive Technologies for UAVs & Unmanned Systems

The rapidly growing drone and Urban Air Mobility industries place demanding requirements on airframe and component design. Platforms must be lightweight, strong enough to withstand the stresses of flight, and reliable enough to operate safely without frequent maintenance.

Permabond offers high-performance industrial adhesives for bonding a wide range of materials across airframes, avionics, electric motors and other critical assemblies. The comprehensive product portfolio provides solutions for virtually any structural, mechanical, electronic and optical assembly requirements.

3D-Printed Component Bonding

Additive manufacturing is increasingly used to produce drone housings, brackets, payload mounts, enclosures and customized structural components. However, materials such as nylon, ABS, PETG and polypropylene can be difficult to bond reliably with conventional adhesives.

Permabond provides structural acrylic and cyanoacrylate formulations developed for engineered plastics and additively manufactured components. These products support strong, durable assembly across a range of materials, component sizes and production requirements.

Composite Frame & Structure Bonding

Carbon fiber, GRP, FRP, honeycomb and composite laminates are widely used in UAV structures due to their high strength-to-weight ratios. Adhesive bonding enables these materials to be assembled without the drilled holes and additional hardware required by many mechanical fastening methods.

The resulting bond distributes stress across a larger surface area, reducing localized stress concentrations and improving resistance to fatigue, impact and vibration. Adhesives can also join dissimilar materials and enable lightweight airframe designs with fewer separate components.

Learn more: Composite Bonding Adhesives

Bearing Retention

Bearings within drone motors and gearboxes must remain securely fixed inside housings and on shafts despite vibration, high rotational speeds and repeated mechanical loading. Anaerobic retaining compounds cure between close-fitting metal surfaces, creating full contact across the joint.

This approach increases load-carrying capacity and helps prevent fretting, corrosion and movement within the assembly.

Electronics Potting, Encapsulation & Ruggedization

Flight controllers, electronic speed controllers, navigation modules and power distribution boards may be exposed to harsh operating conditions such as moisture, vibration, shock and thermal cycling. Potting and encapsulation protect these components and connections against environmental and mechanical damage.

Flexible adhesive formulations can absorb movement and vibration rather than transferring stress directly to sensitive electronics. They also provide sealing and protection for electronic assemblies installed within compact drone housings.

Learn more: Electronics Adhesives

Camera Lens Bonding

Drone cameras and optical payloads require accurately positioned components and stable non-yellowing bonds between lenses, housings and transparent plastics. Permabond’s adhesives support fast curing and production processes and produce invisible bond lines for precision optical assemblies.

Threadlocking Nuts & Bolts

Vibration and dynamic loads can cause threaded fasteners throughout a drone structure to loosen over time, causing potentially serious failures. Anaerobic threadlockers cure within the thread engagement area, securing nuts and bolts without adding lock washers, inserts or other mechanical components.

Permabond offers permanent high-strength products for critical joints, as well as removable options for assemblies that require maintenance.

Learn more: Anaerobic Adhesives & Sealants: Threadlockers, Thread Sealants & More

Composite Repair

Damage to composite airframe panels, housings and structural joints does not always require replacement of the complete component. Suitable adhesives can restore damaged areas, reinforce bonded joints and provide a durable repair across compatible composite and plastic substrates.

Permabond offers UV-curable and two-component epoxy options for different repair processes. These products provide a choice between rapid light curing and tough, environmentally resistant structural bonding.

Electric Motor Magnet Bonding

Permanent magnets within brushless UAV electric motors must withstand centrifugal forces, vibration and extreme operating temperatures. Reliable bonding is essential for maintaining the integrity of rotor and stator assemblies under these conditions.

Permabond provides structural acrylic solutions that offer the fast curing required during production processes, as well as single-part no-mix epoxy for manufacturers that prefer a heat-cure approach.

Learn more: Electric Motor Adhesives

Thermal Management, Impact Absorption & Fire Resistance

Battery assemblies, motor controllers and high-power electronics generate heat that must be managed to maintain performance and protect surrounding components. Thermally conductive adhesives bond components and provide a path for heat transfer across the assembly.

Permabond also offers flexible formulations that can absorb impact and vibration, reducing stress on sensitive electronics and battery components. Fire-retardant properties provide additional protection for enclosed electronics bays and other areas according to UL94 V-0.