Green strength holds parts in place while the adhesive is still uncured or partly cured, letting assemblies leave fixtures, stack or move down the line. Hot melts, contact cements, PSAs and some high-viscosity pastes are prized for it. Low green strength means clamps, tape or fixtures, and parts that slide out of alignment if disturbed.
No green strength in this paste, the panels slide if you look at them, keep them clamped till lunch.
High green strength lets parts move down the line sooner, but it can also lock in misalignment, so fixturing still matters.
Also heard as
- initial strength
- wet grab
Related terms
Grab
Floor word for how quickly and firmly an adhesive takes hold when parts are pressed together.
Fixture time
The time until a bond is strong enough to handle or unclamp the assembly without moving the parts.
Tack
The stickiness of an adhesive surface: how quickly it grabs another surface with light pressure and short contact.
Hot melt
A solid thermoplastic adhesive melted in a tank or gun, dispensed hot and set within seconds as it cools.