Vehicle Lightweighting
What are the Advantages of Adhesive Technology?
Weight reduction has become an integral part of vehicle design with increasing consumer and government calls for lower carbon emissions, enhanced passenger comfort, passenger safety and better performance. Additional to this, the development of smaller and more efficient power systems places added importance on the need for lighter more efficient designs. Today's automotive industry is increasingly looking to new processes and advanced materials to meet the unprecedented challenges it faces, including adhesive tapes for automotive lightweighting.
The design of every component is critical for weight reduction and pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape technology is rapidly replacing traditional joining methods.
Tecman's engineering knowledge and ongoing research into new materials and processes enables the design, develop and delivery of ground breaking bonding and sealing solutions for many automotive requirements. Working alongside leading OEM's design teams and Tier 1 suppliers as bonding and sealing specialists, Tecman's Application Engineers advise from concept stage, considering every aspect of the project to achieve the best all round solution. The core objective with every project is to maximise efficiency whilst minimising cost.
As converter partners for some of the world's largest adhesive tape manufactures, including 3M™, tesa® and Avery Dennison®, Tecman utilise leading-edge materials, engineering knowledge and advanced manufacturing capabilities, both in the UK and USA. This forms the platform for the development of ground breaking solutions for interior, exterior, electronics and masking and protection applications.
Automotive Series Vhpb Tapes - a range of very high-performance automotive grade adhesive tapes used extensively by automotive OEM's and Tier 1 suppliers, designed for exterior attachment part mounting and able to sustain extreme low temperatures.
Lightweighting for Automotive Interiors
Tecman's adhesive tape based bonding, sealing and insulating solutions for automotive interiors have become an integral part of the vehicle interior design with focus on reduced weight, rapid assembly, increased productivity and reduced cost. Clever use of PSA tapes and related materials, are combined with a clear understanding of automotive processes, engineering knowledge and long-term experience.
Utilising new low VOC PSA tapes Tecman have successfully replaced several liquid adhesive applications for bonding automotive carpets, fabrics and other interior linings. Drawing on experience gained within the aerospace industry, Tecman's advanced bonding and insulating products open a completely new range of materials and processes to automotive design engineers.
PSA tape based solutions also include an extensive range of automotive acoustic solutions and NVH management, buzz, squeak and rattle prevention (BSRP) products from UHMW films to PUPE foams. Cable management products are used for anti-chafe, bundling and wrapping. Thermal and acoustic insulating materials are used in many areas for enhanced passenger experience and seals and gaskets inherently remain an essential part of vehicle design. Seals and gaskets are increasingly using PSA tapes as the preferred form of attachment due to the simplicity of the design and speed of assembly.
For fast assembly re-closable fastenings, significant weight reduction can be achieved by using 3M™ Dual-lock products or similar designed materials. These self-adhesive moulded fastening tapes offer high performance lightweight alternatives to mechanical clips, studs and screws with their high mechanical holding capacity that grips in place quickly and securely. They also add the benefits of sound and vibration absorption offering many improvements to overall vehicle design. Used for high traffic areas throughout the aerospace and rail industries due to the products durability and stability. In addition, Tecman are working with leading mechanical fastening companies to develop PSA based fastenings to provide rapid assembly, increasing design flexibility and improved efficiencies.
High Performance Adhesive Tapes for Vehicle Exterior
By replacing traditional mechanical fixing methods with adhesive tapes, weight savings can be achieved across the automotive exterior. Already an established technology for exterior trim attachment, Tecman's automotive adhesive tapes are designed to withstand all environmental conditions including moisture, salt spray, temperature variances and UV radiation.
Scientific studies have clearly established that the properties of adhesive tape, when utilised correctly, will significantly reduce the amount of noise inside the vehicle through the tapes acoustic insulating properties and by absorbing vibration. An increasing number of specialist vehicle and transportation systems now wholly utilise PSA tapes to bond the outer vehicle skin to the supporting structure.
Other application areas include badge and script mounting using specialist die-cut adhesive tape products presented ready for rapid assembly. These tapes are also utilised for mounting fin aerials, rear spoilers and other exterior trim.
- Compensate for expansion and contraction through temperature variation without affecting the structural integrity of the vehicle or outer skin.
- Resistant to constant vibration and will not crack or deteriorate.
- They spread the bond over an even area removing stress spots typically created by rivets or mechanical fastenings.
- PSA tapes seal as well as bond, providing additional water resistance on exterior seals
- More simplistic rubber seal designs use half the amount of rubber in a conventional reinforced seal saving up to 4Kg per vehicle.
- Significant reduction in the vibration passing through the vehicle skin.
Exterior mirror assembly has become another area where adhesive bonding tapes are now the established method for assembly. New thermally conductive bonding tapes have aided the design of heated exterior mirror assemblies allowing engineers greater freedom of design.
Our mirror assembly tape provides lightweight, permanent and reliable bonding power that performs in all weather conditions. Supplied as precision die-cut adhesive tapes designed for reduced assembly time. Products include heating element on base plate and glass, glass on base plate, thermal dissipation of heating element and outer casing protection.
DAAT® Structural Adhesive Film for Body-in-White
The increasing use of lightweight multi-materials in vehicle platforms introduces new challenges for structural bonding. Tecman is committed to developing lightweight solutions that improve processes and allow engineers greater design flexibility by overcoming the challenges when structurally bonding multi-materials.
DAAT® is a next-generation structural adhesive film that uses dual action adhesive technology. By incorporating the benefits of conventional adhesive tape with the performance of a structural epoxy adhesive, DAAT® outperforms many liquid epoxy adhesives in the same classification.
Tecman are partnered with the UK’s leading manufacturer of industrial automated systems. We work in collaboration with OEM’s and tier 1 and 2 suppliers to deliver complete structural bonding and assembly solutions that are customised to our client’s needs.
Body-in-white applications include underbody, pillars and roof panels, chassis, hem flange, body brackets and closures (door, bonnet and tailgate).
Key features and benefits of DAAT® technology include:
- Good initial adhesion contributes to lightweight design flexibility
- Uniform adhesive thickness reduces weight through improved design possibilities
- Controlled adhesive bond line joins dissimilar and hard-to-weld substrates such as high-strength steel, aluminium and magnesium
- Improves durability by reducing fatigue and failure commonly found around spot welds and fasteners
- Bonding hard to weld substrates such as high-strength steel, aluminium and magnesium and seals against environmental conditions that cause corrosion
- Bonding similar and dissimilar materials
- Seals against galvanic corrosion
- Improved crash-resistant performance without any weight increase
Make an Enquiry
We would be pleased to discuss your requirements or project. Please contact us for more information about our solutions for vehicle light weighting, call + 44 (0) 1926 337466 or: