When it comes to the automotive industry, one doesn’t usually think of adhesives – rather, we picture huge, heavy bolts and screws securely fastening components together. However, adhesives are beginning to be recognized in the automotive world as the next great bonding method, and there are many reasons why.

Industrial adhesives are being engineered for incredible feats of strength and flexibility, all with just a few drops. Here, we take a look at the increasing demands being thrust upon auto makers and all the ways that industrial adhesives can help the automotive industry reach new heights in technology and design.

Customization is at an All-Time High

With all of today’s hot new automotive technologies, consumers are longing for more and more “personal” customization. Some customizations (voice activated technology, Bluetooth streaming, Wi-Fi hotspots, and more) can be confusing to customers and require a custom design in order to cater to a broader demographic. With all of the new innovations, it seems impossible to keep up with the demands while still keeping costs reasonable so consumers will buy the newest models.

Regulations are Skyrocketing

These days, car manufacturers are faced with the challenge of not only being innovative in style and design, but also in standard safety features. In earlier years, manufacturers had the luxury of saving more difficult and expensive safety features to be additional costs, so the added expense would already be covered. Today, many of these previously “exclusive” features such as back-up cameras and lane departure detection are being mandated as standard features. This drives up production costs while maintaining the same retail cost.

How Do Adhesives Factor In?

You may be wondering “how is any of this information relevant to industrial adhesives?” Well, manufacturers have begun turning to the innovative new industrial adhesives as a cheaper, lightweight solution to the heavy bolts currently holding the vehicles’ metal frames together.

Industrial adhesives also possess the capability of bonding dissimilar substrates quickly and effectively with minimal surface preparation. This helps tackle the problem of increased customization with no additional production time.

Industrial adhesives are also solving the issue of additional standard safety features by the same method: the safety features can be added to the vehicle quickly, adding very little weight to the car and thus complying with new fuel efficiency standards. These require car manufacturers to nearly double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks by the year 2025: an impossible feat without industrial adhesives.

Bostik is leading the charge in the automotive adhesive industry, and we at Chemical Concepts are proud to stock a huge variety of their products. Check out Bostik’s full line of adhesives and find out which product is right for you. Need help deciding? Our representatives are here to help! Give us a call, toll-free, at 1-800-220-1966 or send us an email at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!