| 1 | Define the curing method | Identify whether the adhesive is cured by heat, ultraviolet light, moisture, two-part reaction, or a combination of methods. Confirm the available equipment, cycle time, and access to the curing energy. | Typical examples include UV curing with a specified wavelength range, heat curing at a defined temperature and time, or moisture curing that depends on ambient humidity and joint geometry. Use the supplier's validated cure schedule rather than a generic estimate. | Technical data sheet, recommended cure profile, minimum and maximum cure conditions, depth-of-cure information, and test results using the actual substrate and joint design. | The product requires a curing condition that the production line cannot reliably provide, or the supplier gives only a nominal cure time without temperature, light intensity, humidity, or layer-thickness limits. | Critical |
| 2 | Check safety and regulatory requirements | Review worker exposure, ventilation, flammability, skin and eye hazards, sensitization potential, storage conditions, transport classification, and end-use regulations. | Compare the product's Safety Data Sheet with the workplace risk assessment. Check relevant requirements such as hazard communication rules, chemical storage limits, and restrictions affecting electrical, medical, food-contact, or consumer applications. | Current Safety Data Sheet, technical data sheet, regulatory statement, storage guidance, personal protective equipment recommendations, and relevant compliance declarations. | Missing or outdated safety documentation, unclear ingredient disclosure, no recommended controls for vapors or skin contact, or storage requirements that cannot be maintained. | Critical |
| 3 | Verify material compatibility | Test adhesion and chemical compatibility with metals, plastics, glass, ceramics, coatings, rubbers, printed materials, and any surface treatment used in the final assembly. | Evaluate lap-shear strength, peel or tensile performance, dimensional change, surface wetting, and bond retention after exposure to heat, humidity, chemicals, and vibration. Surface preparation can materially change the result. | Substrate-specific test data, surface-preparation instructions, primer requirements, compatibility results, and samples produced with the actual production materials. | Strong results are reported only on a different substrate, the adhesive causes stress cracking or discoloration, or the supplier cannot define acceptable surface cleanliness and roughness. | Critical |
| 4 | Match performance to the service environment | Define the expected temperature range, humidity, fluid exposure, electrical requirements, mechanical loads, vibration, impact, and required service life. | Review the adhesive's operating-temperature range, glass-transition temperature where applicable, dielectric properties for electrical assemblies, moisture resistance, and strength retention after environmental aging. | Environmental aging reports, temperature and humidity cycling data, chemical-resistance results, electrical-property data, and test methods used. | Only initial strength is provided, with no aging data or no information about performance under combined heat, humidity, chemicals, and mechanical stress. | Critical |
| 5 | Evaluate process fit and quality control | Check viscosity, dispensing accuracy, working time, fixture time, cure speed, tolerances for mix ratio, rework options, and sensitivity to contamination. | Useful process data includes viscosity at a stated temperature and shear rate, mix ratio for two-part systems, open time, tack-free time, cure time, and recommended bond-line thickness. | Process window, dispensing guidance, batch-to-batch quality limits, packaging options, lot traceability, shelf-life data, and recommended inspection methods. | The adhesive cures too quickly for assembly, requires narrow process control, blocks dispensing equipment, or has no documented lot-release criteria. | High |
| 6 | Calculate total cost, not only unit price | Include material consumption, packaging waste, mixing or dispensing equipment, curing energy, labor, rework, scrap, storage, disposal, testing, and downtime. | Compare cost per finished assembly or per bonded area rather than cost per kilogram alone. A higher-priced adhesive may reduce cycle time or rework, while a low-priced product may increase process losses. | Quotation with pack sizes and delivery terms, estimated coverage, shelf-life and storage costs, equipment requirements, and a trial-based consumption estimate. | The quotation excludes freight, special storage, curing equipment, minimum-order quantities, hazardous-material handling, or expected material waste. | High |
| 7 | Assess supplier support and continuity | Review technical response time, sample support, application engineering, quality-system controls, production capacity, change-notification practices, and business continuity. | A dependable supply program should define lead times, shelf-life at receipt, lot traceability, acceptance criteria, complaint handling, and communication procedures for formulation or site changes. | Quality certificates, product-change policy, certificate of analysis, continuity plan, technical contact information, sample-to-production support, and agreed service-level expectations. | Unstable lead times, limited technical documentation, no formal change notification, inconsistent batch performance, or inability to support validation and scale-up. | High |
