Body panel adhesive
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Body panel adhesive for vehicle repairs and assembly
The development of adhesive technology allows for use of ever-smarter body panel adhesive solutions in vehicle assembly and repairs. The auto body panel adhesive systems are used throughout the transport and vehicles sector, the automotive industry being the largest user of this adhesive. The automotive panel adhesive, however, does not differ from the body panel glue applied to other vehicles in public transportation (trains and buses), road transport (trucks, ambulances, etc.) as well as heavy construction and agricultural machinery. The use of panel bond adhesive solutions remarkably speeds up assembly lines and allows for fast repairs especially there, where welded bonds are not possible or not desired. Transport vehicle and automotive body panel adhesive systems also replace conventional mechanical fasteners, and bring along multiple benefits.
The range of auto body panel adhesive systems is rather broad meaning that there are plenty of adhesives that meet the strict requirements set for the industry. They can also be tailored to fit the needs of specific vehicles and assembly lines possibly resulting in reduced waste and minimum use of the automotive body adhesive without compromising on the bond quality.
Benefits of using auto body panel adhesive
The use of body panel adhesive systems is increasing in both vehicle production and repairs. In both types of applications they bring along many advantages, which encourages the shift from mechanical fasteners and welds towards auto body panel glue.
Assembly line adhesive makes vehicles lighter, faster and stronger
The assembly line adhesive systems are known for the following advantages:
- Lightweight: auto body panel adhesive systems are generally lighter than welds and mechanical fasteners: they can remarkably reduce the weight of a vehicle, which results in reduced fuel consumption and emissions. For example, in buses, the use of adhesives can result in weight reduction of 80 kg.
- Anti-corrosive: welded bonds and fasteners tend to rust at some point of vehicles´ lifespan. Automotive body panel adhesive solutions, like other glues, are not corrosive. In some cases they can even prevent corrosion functioning as a barrier between metal panels. Body panel adhesives contribute to increased durability of vehicles.
- Noise and vibration cancelling: automotive body adhesives effectively cancel vibration and noise caused by engines and uneven road surfaces. Due to the flexible nature of these car body adhesives, they are not affected by vibration unlike mechanical fasteners which loosen or break more easily. This is beneficial especially in public transport vehicles such as trains.
- Bonding dissimilar materials: the fact that body panel glue systems bond dissimilar materials, makes automotive panel adhesive the most used as the use of composite materials has been significantly increasing. Also other vehicles benefit from the ability to bond metals to composite materials.
- Efficiency: cost and time efficiency are strongly associated with automotive body adhesive. For vehicle assembly, car body adhesives are cheaper than fasteners as a material, and regarding application process. The application of body panel adhesives can be fully automated saving time and money.
Get to know more advantages and possible solutions for your assembly line by contacting us.
Car body glue enables tricky repairs
Also in vehicle repairs, automotive body panel adhesive systems have proven to be beneficial. The following benefits come along with body adhesives in repair applications:
- Speedy repairs: body panel glues are common in workshops as they allow for fast repairs. They can be applied more quickly than mechanical fasteners, and do not require specially trained personnel for application unlike welding. Due to this construction machinery and road transport vehicles can return to service faster.
- Repairing hard to reach areas: sometimes welding or fasteners are not an option due to the tricky location of the spot that requires repairing. That is where automotive body panel adhesive systems come into picture: depending on the application method, special glues can reach almost any spot that needs to be repaired.
- Repairs between dissimilar materials: another reason for welding not being an option is dissimilarity of materials. In vehicle manufacturing more and more composite materials are used, meaning that repairs of these materials has also become more frequent. Car panel adhesive systems are a suitable option regardless of the material combination.
Automotive panel adhesive applications in vehicle assembly
In vehicle assembly, car body glue is used to reduce the weight of the vehicles, give them increased protection from corrosion and speed up the production process. They are suitable for applications like body skins, roof skins and quarter panels. The most common applications of body panel glue in assembly include:
- Weatherstrip bonding: waterstripping is the way to protect vehicle interiors from the environment. The body panel adhesives used for weatherstripping must remain flexible also after curing to be able to withstand the vibration of the vehicle. They also must retain their properties in extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuation.
- Watershield bonding: Watershield is the film bonded directly to the vehicle´s door protecting electrical components from damage by water and moisture. Automotive body panel adhesives for watershield bonding exist as pre-applied and direct applied systems.
Body panel adhesive is used for example for watershield which protects the electronics from water damage.
Curious for more? Send us a message to find out more beneficial panel bond adhesive systems on a wide variety of vehicles.
Car body panel glue technologies
The aforementioned applications can be carried out using several adhesive technologies. These can roughly be divided into solvent based, waterborne and hot melt adhesives. The most suitable auto body panel glue is determined by the assembly line and the product.
- Hot melt: 100% solid, environmentally friendly solutions applied using heat. These do not contain any solvents and result in minimum waste, and so are ideal automotive body panel adhesive systems.
- Waterborne: ever-developing liquid adhesives that do not contain any toxic solvents. Car body glue which is safe and fast to work with.
- Solvent based: liquid auto panel adhesives, generally considered stronger than their water based alternatives but have higher VOC values requiring safety measures to be taken.
Materials used in car body panel glues include for example MMA, polyurethane and its alternatives, rubber silicone and MS polymers. The hot melt panel bond adhesive systems are usually butyl-based or hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives (HMPSA).
Looking for an assembly line adhesive or car body panel adhesive for repairs?
Automotive body panel adhesives clearly come with many benefits, but which one is the right one for your assembly line? If in doubt or curious for more information, do not hesitate to contact us. Our experts are determined to help you find the right adhesive system for your processes and products.
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