Road transport sealants and adhesives
Increase of adhesives and sealants in road transport industry
There has been an increase in the use of sealants and adhesives for vehicles that transport cargo or people on the road. This increase is due to adhesives and sealants being more advantageous solutions compared to other sealing and bonding options. These adhesives and sealants have been used for agricultural vehicles like tractors to public safety vehicles such as ambulances. They are also used for recreational vehicles like campers and caravans.
In this article we will give information regarding the use of adhesives and sealants for transportation vehicles on the road.
The advantages that come along with adhesives and sealants
The vehicle industry with its eye towards the future chooses to use innovative materials that will improve durability and the efficiency of the production of vehicles. Therefore, many manufacturing facilities for vehicles opt for sealants and adhesives instead of traditional alternatives. The advantages of the use of adhesives and sealants for road transport are:
- Shock absorption and noise cancellation: these sealants and adhesives can absorb shock as well as cancel out noise. Shock absorption especially can be useful during the production process.
- Lower chances of corrosion: traditional fasteners are mostly made out of metal which leads to more corrosion because of the metal-to-metal contact. This is prevented with the use of adhesives and sealants, which lessens the chances of corrosion happening.
- Pressure is spread out: traditional fasteners put extra pressure on certain spots, while adhesive and sealants are sprayed upon the surface and spread out more which leaves the surface with less of an uneven stress spread.
- Protects the material: adhesives and sealants unlike fasteners such as screws, do not require holes or other damage to be done to the material on which they are used.
- Easy and fast to apply: systems of adhesives and sealants can easily be part of the production process and can be automated.
- Lighter weight: by using adhesives and sealants that are light, almost no weight is added to the total weight of the vehicle. This follows the trend in the industry of road transport which is leaning towards using lighter materials.
- Visually appealing: it is possible to get adhesives or sealants in various colours or even paint over them.
Sealing and attaching of materials in road transport vehicles
Sealants and adhesives made for use in road transport offer a wide variety of ways for application from buses to fire trucks to bulldozers. They offer more strength and high elasticity and durability. Some even offer high chemical or temperature resistance that are needed in harsher environments.
These road transport application systems consist of adhesives, sealants, adhesive sealants as well as sealers which can be used for the following:
- Seals: the sealants can be involved in the sealing of welds, panels, chassis, bodywork or the interior like the floor and roof. MS polymers are a common choice of sealant in many applications in road transport vehicles.
- Bonds: structural bonding of the panels, bodywork, roofing and flooring is often done with the use of adhesives. Adhesives are also suitable for attaching antennas and other receivers.
- Windows: all but the coatings are mostly used for the sealing and bonding of windows for road transport vehicles. It can be used for windows made out of mineral glass or plastics such as poly carbonates.
- Floor coating: to increase durability of the floor of vehicles an appropriate floor sealer can lead to optimal results when used with the correct primer.
Certified adhesives and sealants for road transport
Road transport consists of many different types of vehicles, which each is meant for a certain purpose and environment. Therefore, product certification is of great importance when choosing sealants and adhesives. These certificates can also be relevant to other vehicles than road transport, for example, railway vehicles which can operate in a similar manner. Some of the certificates that we consider quite relevant include Wheelmark, FMVSS 212, ISEGA and DNV GL.
Wheelmark assures that the product has a high durability and performs well in harsher environments. These might even be certified for use in ship building and repair, because of following the requirements set by the EU for maritime equipment.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS 212) is a certification that assesses the product’s performance in a crash situation and looks at the windshield and window’s strength and durability in connection to the seals and adhesives used.
To see if a product is safe to use in any aspect related to food or its distribution you have to look for an ISEGA certification. This certification along with HACCP is needed for seals and bonds used in road transport vehicles that contain food, because they have the lowest risk of food contamination.
For functional safety on the road DNV GL is relevant. It is a certification that assesses road transport products according to international and various European standards. Standards that are included are reliability, maintainability, availability and (system and software) safety.
Consult us for seals and bonds for road transport
If you are looking for an adhesive or sealant for your vehicles this is the right address. We offer expert advice on these systems so feel free to contact us. We would also be happy to answer any questions regarding seals or adhesives and be of service to you!
