The automotive industry is embracing adhesives in its mission to build more resilient, lightweight and low-carbon emitting vehicles.
In this article, we unpack the state of the automotive adhesive market and why manufacturers are replacing traditional joining methods with adhesive technology.
The rise of adhesives in the automotive industry
Adhesives are becoming a dominant force in auto manufacturing — Global United Research predicts that the automotive adhesive market will reach $8.9 billion by 2026. In fact, the auto industry has such a high demand for adhesive technologies that 9% of all adhesives produced in Europe are used in vehicle manufacturing.
But why are manufacturers using more adhesive solutions? One reason is that cars are increasingly made using aluminium and plastic. These materials can’t be welded and are often joined using double-side pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes.
Another reason is that adhesives are key in building longer-lasting and more efficient vehicles. By replacing bolts and screws, for example, adhesives create lighter cars with greatly improved fuel efficiency. As fastening or welding concentrates stress in a part, replacing them with adhesives decreases fatigue failures while reducing the need for fasteners.
While adhesives empower all auto manufacturers, they’re critical for electric vehicle (EV) design. Apart from being used to mount e-powertrains, adhesives can serve additional functions like protecting batteries from power surges and transferring heat to secondary heat sinks.
Key automotive applications for adhesive solutions
Vehicle adhesive solutions typically take the form of liquids, films, or tapes. But as PSA tapes can be die-cut for any shape or size, these solutions are starting to dominate the market.
Reflecting how widely applicable adhesives are to the automotive industry, use cases vary from the obvious to the obscure. On the more obscure side, many car designs have up to 220 holes that need to be covered. These holes were traditionally plugged using plastic, rubber or metal. tesa offers an adhesive solution that helps manufacturers plug these holes at a significantly faster and cheaper rate.
Let’s explore some of the other key ways that the automotive industry employs adhesive solutions:
- Aesthetic and design — from glazing windshields to protecting and joining accessories, adhesives are crucial for unique car designs. This is especially true when building high-quality interiors, where aesthetic appeal is a major differentiator. Applications include customising dashboards, panelling, seating and seat covers, carpeting, and floor mats. When looking at exteriors, adhesives help generate a sleek aesthetic by eliminating noticeable fasteners, weldings, and bolts — especially when accessories are added to car bodies.
- Temporary protection — temporary adhesives safeguard interior and exterior surfaces during assembly and transportation, ensuring that components like upholstery, door panels, wheel rims and emblems remain spotless and undamaged. Specialised films provide permanent paint protection against corrosion.
- Permanent mounting solutions — adhesive mounts permanently secure metal or plastic parts for the lifetime of the vehicle. Along with static and dynamic stresses, top mounting solutions are made to withstand environmental conditions like moisture, UV radiation and varying temperatures. For example, tesa’s part mounting solution can be used to mount a huge array of attachments like roof rails, window frames and aero flaps.
Adhesives: the future of the automotive industry
From enabling modern vehicle design to making cars lighter and more resilient, adhesive technology plays a vital role in building next-generation vehicles. But to build next-generation cars, you need a reliable partner who can provide innovative adhesive solutions.
At tesa, we’ve supplied patented adhesive solutions to world-leading OEMs and OES. With unmatched expertise in adhesive technology and parts mounting, we offer guidance, knowledge, and insight at every engagement.
To learn more about how a supplier like tesa can make your next automotive design and development project better than the last, download our Must Have Guide OES and OEM Manufacturers in the Automotive Industry
