LOCTITE - Instant 401

LOCTITE, a brand known internationally for its adhesives, belongs to the Henkel group, which dedicates its work to produce and develop all types of domestic and industrial chemical products. LOCTITE has developed the Loctite 401 instant glue, which is ideal for the 3D printing sector due to its composition.

The LOCTITE 401 is a cyanoacrylate glue with an ultra fast cure and a single component, it cures in a few seconds. It is ideal for gluing printed pieces of all kinds, FDM, SLA, DLP, even pieces made with technologies with a porous finish (SLS and MJF). Thanks to its low viscosity, this glue is perfectly introduced by the layers of the printed pieces, even if they are not very porous, resulting in a perfect union and without altering the final geometry of the joint (separation <0.1 mm). In addition, the LOCTITE 401 is ideal for bonding casting resins, since it does not generate ashes.

This glue allows you to make larger pieces without the need for a larger 3D printer. To make these joints, LOCTITE recommends different geometries depending on the type of resistance that the piece that you want to carry out must support. Below are the types of recommended joints:

Joint	Butt	Scarf	Stepped scarf	Stepped lap	Tongue and groove	Saw tooth
Selt-Alignment	None	None	Better	Better	Best	Best
Bond Area	Good	Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
Stress Distr.	Good	Better	Better	Best	Best	Best

Joint		Selt-Alignment	Bond Area	Stress Distr.
	Butt	None	Good	Good
	Scarf	None	Better	Better
	Stepped scarf	Better	Better	Better
	Stepped lap	Better	Better	Best
	Tongue and groove	Best	Better	Best
	Saw tooth	Best	Better	Best

Chart 1: Types of union. Source: LOCTITE

The LOCTITE 401 is ideal for ultra fast joints of parts that are manufactured in all types of 3D printers and to repair the breakage of any of them.