Commercial Aviation

At H.B. Fuller, we support the demanding requirements of commercial aviation with high-performance adhesives, sealants, coatings, and specialty materials engineered for bonding, sealing, assembly, repair, and protection. Our comprehensive aerospace portfolio serves aircraft manufacturers, suppliers, and maintenance teams across a wide range of applications, including interior and exterior bonding, aircraft sealing, composite fabrication, avionics, inflatables, and other basic and flight-critical needs.

Our aerospace portfolio includes solutions for interior bonding, exterior sealing, composite fabrication, structural bonding, avionics protection, inflatables, fastener locking, and more. With multiple adhesive and sealant technologies available, H.B. Fuller works with customers to help identify materials based on substrates, process needs, performance requirements, and applicable specifications. In addition, our Aerospace portfolio has solutions qualified to numerous AMS and OEM standards to provide the best engineering solutions tailored to the aerospace industry.

Adhesive and Sealant Solutions for Commercial Aircraft

Commercial aircraft applications often involve lightweight materials, complex assemblies, environmental exposures, and strict processing requirements. H.B. Fuller offers aerospace materials that can support many aviation applications, such as:

• Composite fabrication and repair
• Interior bonding and assembly
• Lightweight void and edge filling
• Structural bonding
• Fuel tank and fuselage sealing
• Cabin sealing and aerodynamic smoothing
• Casting elastomers
• Thermally and electrically conductive materials
• Avionics potting, sealing, encapsulation, and coatings
• Fastener locking and sealing
• Adhesives and coatings for inflatables

Because each aircraft application has different requirements, product selection should be based on the specific design, substrate, process, service environment, and validation needs.

Aircraft Interior Bonding and Assembly

Aircraft interiors use many different substrates and components, including foams, fabrics, leather, decorative coverings, panels, galleys, lavatories, seats, cabin walls, and floor structures. H.B. Fuller offers adhesive technologies for interior bonding, seat assembly, seat cover lamination, decorative covering, structural lamination, cabin wallpaper, sandwich panels, and small interior repair.

Available technologies may include water-based adhesives, solvent-based adhesives, reactive hot melts, polyurethane dispersions, contact adhesives, epoxy compounds, and other specialty materials. These options help customers match the adhesive to the application method, working time, cure requirements, and finished-part performance needs.

Polysulfide Sealants for Aircraft Sealing

H.B. Fuller’s polysulfide sealants are used across commercial aviation applications where sealing performance is of utmost importance. Common uses include fuel containment, cabin and fuselage sealing, aerodynamic smoothing, access door sealing, window and canopy sealing, and corrosion protection.

Polysulfide sealant options may include lightweight, rapid-cure, brush-grade, extrusion-grade, roller-grade, fuel tank, general-purpose, and corrosion-inhibitive materials. These products are designed for use in demanding aircraft environments, but final suitability should always be confirmed through testing and review of technical requirements.

Structural Adhesives for Composite and Metal Bonding

As commercial aircraft designs continue to use composite materials, aluminium, carbon fiber, and other advanced substrates, bonding requirements can vary widely by application. H.B. Fuller offers structural adhesives for composite and metal bonding, including materials used for composite bonding, field repair, liquid shim applications, and load-bearing structures.

These solutions may support requirements such as bonding strength, peel performance, shear performance, toughness, chemical resistance, and thermal performance, depending on the selected product and application.

Lightweight Void Fill, Edge Fill, and Insert Potting

Honeycomb panels and sandwich structures are common in aircraft interiors and selected composite applications. H.B. Fuller offers lightweight materials for void filling, edge closeout, insert potting, core reinforcement, and panel forming.

These materials may be used in applications such as galleys, lavatories, service carts, bulkheads, floor panels, and honeycomb core assemblies. Depending on the product, features may include flame resistance, low density, compressive strength, sandability, machinability, chemical resistance, and compatibility with injection or bulk application methods.

Avionics Adhesives, Coatings, and Encapsulation Materials

Avionics and electronic assemblies may require materials for potting, sealing, encapsulation, coating, structural bonding, and thermal or electrical performance. H.B. Fuller offers aerospace materials for connector sealing, electrical potting, printed circuit board coating, casting and encapsulation, and thermally or electrically conductive bonding and filling.

These materials can be considered when electronic assemblies need protection, support, or process-specific performance. Product choice should be matched to component design, substrates, environmental exposure, and application requirements.

Fastener Locking, Bonded Fasteners, and Inflatables

H.B. Fuller also supports commercial aviation assembly needs with fastener locking and sealing technologies, adhesively bonded fastener systems, and materials for inflatable fabrication and repair.

Our fastener solutions (including ND Industries and Weld Mount solutions) can support self-locking, self-sealing, hose and cable mounting, studs, standoffs, floating nut plates, wire tie mounts, and other bonded attachment points. For inflatables, H.B. Fuller offers adhesives and coatings for coated fabrics used in applications such as evacuation slides, life rafts, collapsible fuel or water bladders, helicopter floats, waterproof bags, and related flexible assemblies.

Technical Support for Aerospace Applications

Selecting an aerospace adhesive or sealant involves more than choosing a chemistry. Important factors include substrate type, flame requirements, weight targets, application method, cure speed, working life, environmental exposure, specification requirements, and production process.

H.B. Fuller’s aerospace team can help customers review application needs and identify potential materials for testing and validation.