Adhesive bonding on painted car bodies in automotive production lines: Alternatives and cost analysis

Abstract

In modern societies there is an increasing concern regarding the environmental impact of automotives. This and additional strict legislation in vehicle production are driving automotive manufacturers to develop lighter and, thus, less fuel consuming vehicles. This goal is further related to quality issues in current production lines and in the final product itself, especially when safety issues are concerned. Customers' protection during crash is a major demand which motivates automotive manufacturers to improve production processes which can satisfy the highly demanding market. Simultaneously, the introduction of new manufacturing techniques is strongly correlated with additional costs, which should be analyzed and quantified, in order to prove the sustainability of such processes for automotive production. This paper considers adhesive bonding for joining attachments (i.e. roof, hood, windshield components) on painted automotive shell surfaces as a potential technique in volume production. Production issues pertinent to the automotive industry are discussed in conjunction with a consideration of the physical properties of the adhesive joints studied. In order to introduce such type of adhesive joining process in current production lines, different process chain scenarios are proposed depending on the paint type in order to achieve the required strength of connection, especially during crash loads. Production costs are gathered and a proposed cost analysis is presented and explained for evaluating the suggested process chain scenarios in order to identify cost intensive procedures.