Well connected
The image of welding robots and noisy riveting machines on an automotive assembly line could soon be a relic of the past. In modern automotive manufacturing, many parts can be bonded together using high-performance adhesives. Evonik supplies innovative and essential components for these high-grade adhesives, which are replacing screws, rivets, and welding in both bodywork and interior trim.
Lower costs and less weight
Custom designed hot melt adhesives such as DYNAPOL® S and DYNACOLL from Evonik quickly reach
maximum adhesive strength, shortening the time it takes to go on to the next stage of processing.
Moreover, adhesive bonding is significantly more cost-effective. A mid-size car, for example, needs
about 5,000 spot welds. As many as half of these heavy welds can be replaced by lighter bonded
joints. The use of one kilogram of adhesive reduces the weight of the car by a good 25 kilograms
because adhesive bonded metal sheets can be thinner. And a lighter car means that fuel consumption
is also reduced.
Adhesive technology also offers considerable advantages for interior fittings and seats in
cars, where materials like textiles, leather, and plastics can be stylishly combined.
Adhesive bonding easily reversed
Evonik's scientists have even found a way of reversing the bonding process for recycling
purposes. The product used for this purpose is MagSilica®. This superparamagnetic iron oxide makes
the magnetically induced aging of certain adhesives possible within seconds. The bonded joint is
simply undone. This is a small masterstroke because, while welded steel bodies are easily melted
down, cars manufactured from a mix of adhesive bonded materials still pose challenges for
recycling.
