Issue
The magnets that secure the faceplate my Paradigm Inspire Station, Echo / Elaho Inspire Station, or EchoTouch have come off.
Explanation of Issue
This is an issue with the magnets not bonding well with their adhesive. Over time ETC has changed the bonding agent in response to feedback received from customers, so depending on when your station(s) shipped, the success of the bond can vary.
Inspire Stations originally used black powder-coated magnets. We found that this coating caused an issue with adhesion, sticking to the glue and coming off of the magnet so the magnet was no longer adhered. In May of 2020, these were swapped out for silver non-coated magnets and a new glue was implemented, which has largely resolved that specific issue.
EchoTouch stations have always used silver magnets, but has also had bonding issues.
In March 2021, ETC took several extra steps in the building process to allow for better adhesion, including larger amounts of glue, longer bonding time, and shipping items separately so that the magnet does not get pulled out in shipping.
Although this improved the bond and problems were less frequent, we continued to hear about bonding issues from user sites. So in November 2023, ETC began rolling a new promising adhesive into production of 1-gang faceplates. 2 and 3-gang faceplates continue to use the adhesive put into production in 2021.
Solution
ETC recommends re-attaching the magnets using 3M CA40H, but either Loctite Super Glue or Gorilla Glue Clear can be used as a cheaper alternative. Contact ETC Technical Services for additional assistance.
