Vehicle manufacturers are faced with industry-wide disruptions that range from ridesharing apps to automated factories. To overcome these challenges, OEMs are reinventing their processes to increase product value and manufacturing efficiency.
For mounting attachments like emblems, spoilers and antennas, this means using high-performing bonding technology that can meet demanding auto manufacturing processes. As part of the megatrend of building lower emission cars, your solution should also help you build lighter vehicles that limit environmental impact.
This article unpacks how tesa’s ACXplus primerless automotive tapes can increase manufacturing efficiency and help you design better vehicles. All while providing a powerful attachment mounting solution. To start, let’s explore the advantages of using primerless tapes.
Benefits to using primerless tapes
Increasingly, manufacturers are replacing mechanical bonds like screws and welds with adhesives. That’s because adhesives form tighter seals and limit corrosion and vibrations.
When comparing liquid and tape adhesive, foam bonding tapes are faster to apply and they can easily be included in assembly lines by adding tape presses. Despite this, automotive bonding tapes have traditionally relied on primers to create strong bonds, adding logistics and labour costs to vehicle manufacturing.
To drive manufacturing efficiency, tesa has developed automotive tapes that don’t need primers to create powerful permanent bonds. By helping to eliminate primers, these tapes offer the following benefits:
- Faster bonding application
- Lower resource costs as primer is no longer applied
- Sleeker vehicles due to smaller bond lines
- Fewer performance issues as primers are eliminated as a bonding variable
- Safer assembly lines as employees aren’t exposed to harsh primer chemicals
Bonds that last: Primerless ACXplus features and performance
The tesa® ACXplus Primerless Line is a double-sided 0.8 mm acrylic foam tape that is suitable for a wide range of exterior attachment part mounting applications. With a temperature range of -40°C to 80°C, the ACXplus is a low surface energy (LSE) and medium surface energy (MSE) solution that can adhere to typical automotive surfaces like different clear coats, polypropylene and ABS plastics.
Along with a robust set of part mounting applications, the ACXplus is easily applied and can achieve excellent bonding right after application. Its features include:
Adaptable foam core — As the ACXplus primerless tape has a viscoelastic acrylic foam core that protects car parts by absorbing and dissipating dynamic and static stress. These foam cores also compensate for temperature shifts and the thermal elongation of bonded parts.
High performance on LSE plastics without primer — LSE plastics frustrate attachment part mounting effectiveness as LSE compositions restrict adhesive bonding power. But tesa’s automotive tapes are expertly designed to form stable and long-lasting bonds between parts and LSE surfaces.
Superior peel adhesion on polypropylene (PP) substrates — these permanent tapes are difficult to peel from multiple surface types. When specifically applied to PP, the ACXplus Primerless line demonstrates high peel force resistance. Coming with a high initial tack even at application temperature as low as 5°C.
Outstanding wet-out properties — to create strong bonds, vehicles and parts need surfaces that let adhesives spread or ‘wet-out’. Primers are used to wet surfaces, improving how easily parts adhere to vehicles. The ACXplus Primerless line provides surface wetting without the need for primers.
High humidity and UV resistance — your vehicle faces harsh environmental conditions like humidity and direct sunlight. tesa’s automotive tapes demonstrate high humidity and UV resistance that protects attachment bonds over the lifetime of the vehicle.
Towards a better attachment part mounting solution
As they reduce labour and lead to faster bonding, using primerless tapes is crucial for automotive manufacturers looking to increase their efficiency. tesa’s high-performing primerless solutions are a powerful option for most of your attachment part mounting needs. For more information, click the button below to visit the ACXplus 77708 product page.
[See tesa’s ACXplus Primerless Line]
We’ve also written a free ebook to help manufacturers increase their product value. In it, we share insights into maximising supplier value and improving your product development process. Along with our tips on evaluating suppliers and driving innovation, we unpack the latest automotive megatrends.
You can download our guide for free by clicking the button below.
