A pop-off is how adhesive failure looks on the line: a bracket, label or trim piece that comes away whole with a crack, often under light load or after a temperature swing. Glossy plastics, plated metal, mold release and paint with poor intercoat adhesion are frequent culprits. Pop-offs send engineers back to surface energy and cleaning procedures.
Third pop-off this week on the chrome trim, the CA just won't stay on that plating.
Also heard as
- popped off clean
Related terms
Adhesive failure
A break at the interface between adhesive and part, leaving one surface clean or nearly clean.
LSE
Low surface energy, describing plastics and coatings that most adhesives cannot wet or bond without help.
IPA wipe
Cleaning a bonding surface with isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free wipe just before adhesive goes on.
Surface energy
A measure of how strongly a solid surface attracts liquids, which decides whether an adhesive can wet it.