Method for molding over a preform

Abstract

A method for adhesively bonding a first body to a second body, the first body comprising a metallic substrate, such as a piece of steel, or comprising a metallic substrate and a filler therein, such as ceramic fiber reinforced aluminum, the second body comprising any type of substrate, such as a piece of glass, plastic or metal. The first body is pretreated by placing it in the path of an energy beam, such as a laser beam, to form projections on the metallic substrate by evaporation and/or melting of the metallic substrate of the first body, substantially all of the projections being less than 20 micrometers in height, or to expose filler by evaporation of the metallic substrate of the first body. The second body can be untreated, pretreated as above or pretreated another way, such as by solvent washing or sandblasting. An adhesive is then coated on the pretreated area of the first body and the first body adhered to the second body. The cured adhesive interlocks with the projections and/or the exposed filler to produce a stronger bond. Similarly, an object, such as a rubber gasket, can be molded to a so-pretreated body so that the cured molding compound interlocks with the projections and/or the exposed filler to produce a stronger bond between the molded object and the so-pretreated body. The invention is also an article made by the method.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.