Adhesive Companies Team Up with OEMs to Improve Lightweighting for Connected Cars

   The connected car is the wave of the future – but so is the need for lightweighting to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The additional electronics used in connected cars add weight to vehicles, spurring further exploration of materials that can help to offset this through the manufacture of lighter components. High-performance plastics are being used for vehicle interiors, exteriors, and even under the hood. Just ten percent less weight will save between six and eight percent in fuel consumption, motivating fleet owners to seek out fuel-efficient vehicles.

   Although plastics can be as strong as steel, advanced bonding technologies are required to join components, particularly when dissimilar substrates must be joined together. Henkel is among the adhesive and sealant companies developing solutions. These include flexible gasketing technologies and adhesives.

   Loctite 5883 is an example of its needs-driven innovations. The adhesive is used to seal oil pans, engine oil covers, and covers for electrical controls and the company says that its Loctite 5810B adhesive is durable enough to be used in powertrains, engines, and transmissions. Technomelt 1051, on the other hand, was specifically developed for bonding plastics used in vehicle interiors while several of the products in Henkel’s Loctite and Terason product ranges are used as sealants. The company says that it intends to rise to the challenges posed by the drive towards greater fuel economy both now and in the future.