<p>Heat Transfer PAste will not work as a gluing agent. What you need is a high-temperature glue that bonds Aluminium and a silicone rubber. The benchmark temperature that the glue needs to withstand is about 100 °C or approximately 200 °F.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mcmaster.com/glue/for-use-on%7Ealuminum/for-joining%7Erubber/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">McMaster-Carr</a> allowed me to search for glue-properties and suggests among others contact adhesives, which are cans or tubes with a very viscous glue. You let that pre-cure on the items and then push the two together, resulting in very strong bonds. One of the items they suggest is <a href="https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/%7E/3M-Plastic-Adhesive-2262/?N=5002385%203293193728&amp;rt=rud" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3M 2262</a> for which McMaster-Carr lists 230 °F as the max temperature, so just in the <em>safe</em> range. However, a 32 oz. can for almost 100 $ is surely overkill, the <a href="https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1015904O/3m-industrial-adhesives-and-tapes.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3M manufacturer catalog</a> lists only 1 qt and 5 gal as the available packaging sizes, so, unless you build printers for a living or know someone who uses this industrially, this is not an option.</p>
<p>The same catalog also lists the <a href="https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/%7E/3M-Double-Coated-Tape-9496LE/?N=5002385%203293242019&amp;rt=rud" rel="nofollow noreferrer">&quot;3M™ 200MP&amp; 300LSE&quot;</a> series with temperatures of 148 °C (300 °F) to 204 °C (400 °F). That is enough to print anything on. And it's the same glue that' used on my Build-Tak replacement surfaces to stick them to the Aluminium bed, so it could be suitable for gluing the heater to the bed on the other side too. However, I wish you good luck to find a reseller that sells you a fitting amount. Industrial packaging is available, but you'll need to find a reseller that offers a somewhat fitting size for you - I have seen Amazon listings for both types in sizes that have only small waste for most common heaters.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/t3S0H.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/t3S0H.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>I am not affiliated with 3M or McMaster-Carr, but I have very good experience with 300LSE.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-08T08:51:55.630Z
Thank you for your response. Theese double coated tapes are very expensive, 20 euro for a sheet of 31x31 cm. I was thinking to glue it with a thin layer of gasket glue. I can't find the thermal conductivity, but I don't think it will be so bad.
Kostas Lazaridis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-08T09:21:34.817Z
I have seen 25x30 for a 5er, but yes, the stuff IS expensive: 1000€ for a 55 meter, 65 cm wide roll from the industrial resellers. Thermal conductivity is good enough that it'S common to use 300LE or 200MP for the BuildTak.
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-06T16:30:16.780Z
2020-12-06T16:30:16.780Z
Trish
<p>I suggest not gluing it. Starting from the top, make a sandwich this way:</p>
<p>Aluminium with holes for bolts - Silicone heater - Thin cork (the one from IKEA, 2 mm thick for office desks is fine) - Thin plywood with holes for bolts (or other stiff material holding at least 60°C)</p>
<p>This way you use the aluminium and the plywood to keep the silicone heater well in contact with the aluminium, and the cork insulates so that less heat is lost on the bottom side.</p>
<p>Also, cork is fire-retardant.</p>
<p>If the heater fails replacing it is simple.</p>
<p>Also, you can and should cut away from the cork some space for a thermal non resettable fuse at 180°C to cut power if the heater overheats.</p>
<p>In my case I should have used one more bolt, as you can see in the photo.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/0nwJN.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0nwJN.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-08T08:54:30.330Z
Thank you for your response. I am afraid to put a sheet of plywood under the heating element. Beside that it is not a bad idea.
Kostas Lazaridis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-08T09:41:59.800Z
@KostasLazaridis it's not just plywood, it's plywood under cork, which is fire-retardant. You need a temperature safety fuse anyway! Trust me, plywood will be barely hot to the touch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_cutoff#Thermal_fuse
FarO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-06T22:29:01.197Z
2020-12-09T14:54:35.457Z
2020-12-09T14:54:35.457Z
FarO
<p>I am making a bed for my 3D printer. I have bought a silicon heater (31x31 cm) and I want to glue it to my custom aluminum bed. The tape that it had from factory was bad, so I removed it. I want to glue it to the aluminum and I don't know what type of adhesive to use, I was thinking gasket glue with silicon, but I think that it will have bad thermal conductivity. I found <a href="https://www.annapol.eu/product_info.php?products_id=137997&amp;language=en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this product, a silicon based,  heat transferring paste</a>, but I think that it will not stick good. What is a good adhesive for this purpose?</p>

<diy-3d-printer><heated-bed>
Gluing silicon heater to aluminium
Kostas Lazaridis
# Gluing silicon heater to aluminium

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-06)

I am making a bed for my 3D printer. I have bought a silicon heater (31x31 cm) and I want to glue it to my custom aluminum bed. The tape that it had from factory was bad, so I removed it. I want to glue it to the aluminum and I don't know what type of adhesive to use, I was thinking gasket glue with silicon, but I think that it will have bad thermal conductivity. I found [this product, a silicon based, heat transferring paste](https://www.annapol.eu/product_info.php?products_id=137997&language=en), but I think that it will not stick good. What is a good adhesive for this purpose?

**Tags:** diy-3d-printer, heated-bed


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-06. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

Heat Transfer PAste will not work as a gluing agent. What you need is a high-temperature glue that bonds Aluminium and a silicone rubber. The benchmark temperature that the glue needs to withstand is about 100 °C or approximately 200 °F.

[McMaster-Carr](https://www.mcmaster.com/glue/for-use-on%7Ealuminum/for-joining%7Erubber/) allowed me to search for glue-properties and suggests among others contact adhesives, which are cans or tubes with a very viscous glue. You let that pre-cure on the items and then push the two together, resulting in very strong bonds. One of the items they suggest is [3M 2262](https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/%7E/3M-Plastic-Adhesive-2262/?N=5002385%203293193728&rt=rud) for which McMaster-Carr lists 230 °F as the max temperature, so just in the *safe* range. However, a 32 oz. can for almost 100 $ is surely overkill, the [3M manufacturer catalog](https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1015904O/3m-industrial-adhesives-and-tapes.pdf) lists only 1 qt and 5 gal as the available packaging sizes, so, unless you build printers for a living or know someone who uses this industrially, this is not an option.

The same catalog also lists the ["3M™ 200MP& 300LSE"](https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/%7E/3M-Double-Coated-Tape-9496LE/?N=5002385%203293242019&rt=rud) series with temperatures of 148 °C (300 °F) to 204 °C (400 °F). That is enough to print anything on. And it's the same glue that' used on my Build-Tak replacement surfaces to stick them to the Aluminium bed, so it could be suitable for gluing the heater to the bed on the other side too. However, I wish you good luck to find a reseller that sells you a fitting amount. Industrial packaging is available, but you'll need to find a reseller that offers a somewhat fitting size for you - I have seen Amazon listings for both types in sizes that have only small waste for most common heaters.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/t3S0H.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/t3S0H.png)

---

I am not affiliated with 3M or McMaster-Carr, but I have very good experience with 300LSE.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you for your response. Theese double coated tapes are very expensive, 20 euro for a sheet of 31x31 cm. I was thinking to glue it with a thin layer of gasket glue. I can't find the thermal conductivity, but I don't think it will be so bad.  
> **username_1**: I have seen 25x30 for a 5er, but yes, the stuff IS expensive: 1000€ for a 55 meter, 65 cm wide roll from the industrial resellers. Thermal conductivity is good enough that it'S common to use 300LE or 200MP for the BuildTak.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-12-06. Score: 1

I suggest not gluing it. Starting from the top, make a sandwich this way:

Aluminium with holes for bolts - Silicone heater - Thin cork (the one from IKEA, 2 mm thick for office desks is fine) - Thin plywood with holes for bolts (or other stiff material holding at least 60°C)

This way you use the aluminium and the plywood to keep the silicone heater well in contact with the aluminium, and the cork insulates so that less heat is lost on the bottom side.

Also, cork is fire-retardant.

If the heater fails replacing it is simple.

Also, you can and should cut away from the cork some space for a thermal non resettable fuse at 180°C to cut power if the heater overheats.

In my case I should have used one more bolt, as you can see in the photo.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/0nwJN.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/0nwJN.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you for your response. I am afraid to put a sheet of plywood under the heating element. Beside that it is not a bad idea.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 it's not just plywood, it's plywood under cork, which is fire-retardant. You need a temperature safety fuse anyway! Trust me, plywood will be barely hot to the touch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_cutoff#Thermal_fuse  

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