Dow Automotive Systems is leveraging its existing structural adhesives portfolio as well as its development expertise to offer BETAFORCE™, BETAMATE™ and BETASEAL™ solutions that enhance lightweight module construction. Liftgate/hatchback, decklids and front-end carrier modules are increasingly designed using a multi-material mix to decrease weight while maintaining design flexibility, styling and safety performance. Structural bonding of these lightweight modules delivers on these customer needs.
“For those Tiers and OEMs adopting mixed-material design, 3kg to 10kg weight savings per module have already been realized,” said Christophe Van Herreweghe, Marketing Manager – Body & Exteriors, Dow Automotive Systems. “Use of Dow structural adhesives helps enable those targets and further enhances the module through the ability to bond dissimilar substrates, reduce welding and mechanical fasteners, seal against corrosion for better durability and increase strength and stiffness for crash worthiness and enhanced customer driving experience.”
Dow structural adhesives are developed with rapid-cure characteristics that process well in mass production manufacturing environments. Primerless-to-plastic formulations help remove VOCs from assembly operations, and new multifunctional adhesives are in development.
Structural bonding of modular assemblies has a success record of over twenty years. Creating new formulations that align with advances in materials technology and sustainability targets are the hallmarks of Dow’s commitment to the industry. Dow products are on current platforms including the Jeep Cherokee liftgate – through collaboration with Magna – and will be launched on other 2019 series later this year.
