Cold bonding: repair without hot work
Cold bonding joins, seals or rebuilds metallic components using ambient-curing epoxy composites, with no heat input at all. Induscoat applies this technique on tanks, piping, flanges, structures and equipment envelopes — wherever welding is forbidden (ATEX zones), risky (cast iron, hardened steels) or economically absurd (downtime, permits, rebalancing).
The challenge: welding is not always possible, or desirable
On a live industrial site, welding requires a hot-work permit, area isolation, a fire-watch and often a line drain-and-purge. In an ATEX-classified zone (refinery, chemical plant), welding is simply forbidden. On cast iron, welding cracks. On hardened steels, it destroys the structure. On a process tank, it forces a costly shutdown. Cold bonding removes all of these constraints.
The solution: ambient-curing epoxy composites
Induscoat applies ambient-curing epoxy pastes and resins that bond to steel, cast iron, stainless, bronze, aluminium, concrete and composites. These systems can bond reinforcement plates, seal leaks, rebuild lost material and create mechanical joints without a single spark. The final bond strength can approach that of the parent steel in shear.
Analysis of the part, failure mechanism and mechanical loads
Surface preparation: NACE 2 grit blasting + solvent degreasing
Application of the epoxy composite and joint shaping
Ambient cure (4 to 24 h) and return to service with no hot work
Benefits of cold bonding
- No hot-work permit, no fire or explosion risk
- Usable in ATEX-classified zones with no waiver
- Bonding to cast iron, steel, stainless, bronze, aluminium, concrete
- No thermal distortion and no heat-affected zone
- In-service repair possible on isolated and drained lines
- Joint mechanical strength close to parent steel in shear
Systems we apply
Induscoat selects the cold-bonding system based on your substrate, service and HSE constraints. We apply cold-repair composites, anti-corrosion finishes and our own Induscoat formulations for Canada's most demanding services.
Related solutions
These services and products complement the application described above.
Frequently asked questions
How strong is a cold bond?+
A properly applied repair epoxy composite on a NACE 2 blasted surface reaches 200–300 kg/cm² adhesion in shear and 800–1,200 kg/cm² compressive strength. This is sufficient for most structural and containment applications. For high dynamic loads, we specify high-toughness systems.
Can you bond to a wet or oily surface?+
Some formulations are tolerant to moisture and traces of oil — they repel fluid at the surface during cure. For best results and manufacturer warranty, NACE 2 grit blasting + degreasing remains the reference. We assess case by case based on urgency and accessibility.
Is cold bonding accepted by insurers and API?+
Cold bonding is recognized by API 510 (pressure), API 653 (tanks), ASME PCC-2 and ISO 24817 as a composite-repair method for pressure equipment and tanks. Our work is documented to these standards with procedure, qualification and inspection.
Which sectors do you serve in Canada?+
Refineries, chemical and petrochemical plants, mines, cement, power stations, pulp-and-paper, water treatment — in Quebec, Ontario and across Canada.
Go deeper
Our technical notes on the subject — applicable standards, selection criteria and implementation traps.
Worn shaft repair without welding: rebuilding bearing seats, bearing housings and keyways cold
A bearing that spins on its shaft or in its housing leaves a worn, oval or fretted seat that no new bearing will fix. This guide covers how to measure the damage and find its cause, how a cold rebuild with metal-filled epoxy compares with weld build-up, metallizing, sleeving and replacement, and the two ways to restore the fit: build up and machine, or mould against a release-coated bearing or mandrel.
10 minMining equipment coatings and wear protection: a zone-by-zone guide to the ore processing plant
An ore processing plant concentrates every degradation mechanism in one building: impact, abrasion, slurry erosion, reagent chemistry and wet atmosphere. This guide walks the concentrator from the crusher to the process water lines, names the mechanism attacking each piece of equipment, and matches it with the protection that suits it, with a link to the detailed guide for each case.
10 minMetal repair epoxy putty: how to choose a metal-filled or ceramic-filled epoxy for cold repairs
Metal repair epoxy putties, cold weld compounds and metal-filled epoxies are the same family of products, and they do not all do the same job. The filler, the physical form and the resin system decide where a grade works. This guide covers how to match the product to the substrate, the service and the repair, why surface preparation decides the result, and where a filled epoxy is the wrong answer.
10 minIndustrial wear protection solutions: choosing protection by wear mechanism (abrasion, impact, erosion, cavitation, sliding)
Wear protection fails most often because it was chosen for the wrong mechanism. This guide shows how to read abrasion, impact, erosion, cavitation and sliding wear on a worn part, compares the main solution families, from AR and manganese steel to ceramic-filled epoxy and thermal spray, and points to the detailed guide for each case.
10 minRepair or replace industrial equipment: a repair vs replace decision method for corroded and worn assets
Whether to repair or replace a corroded or worn piece of equipment is decided by four sets of criteria: technical integrity, the operating constraints of the shutdown, life cycle cost and the risk carried by each option. This guide lays out the method, a step-by-step decision table and typical cases for pumps, exchangers, tanks, piping and chutes.
10 minChute liner repair and hopper wear repair: rebuilding chutes, hoppers and cyclones during a shutdown
A worn chute, hopper or cyclone rarely waits for a new liner package. It has to be repaired inside the next shutdown, with the crew and the access available. This guide covers how to read the wear mechanism, what to measure before the stop, which repair option fits which zone, and how to apply a ceramic-filled epoxy on site so it lasts until the next window.
10 minTell us about your equipment to repair
Technical recommendation and quote within 24 business hours.
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