Automated mobility
Adhesives for automated driving
The automotive industry has already made great advances in automated driving, especially in well-controlled environments such as on highways. The fact that automated driving (Level 3) is technically possible with the help of powerful advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is also thanks to innovative adhesive solutions. Adhesives make a small, but nevertheless important contribution to the future of driving.
Adhesives for cameras and LiDAR
Adhesives play a particularly important role in cameras. Among other, they are used for traffic sign recognition, lane keeping, and collision warning assist systems even in mid-range cars. In this case, and also for the increasingly common LiDAR sensors in the luxury range, the bonded components including lenses, filters and image sensors, must function reliably in the long term. Low outgassing and low and reproducible shrinkage of the adhesive are crucial to this prerequisite. Even more important for the optics is that the lens position does not change after production. Users can use light-fixable adhesives to ensure this. The optics of the camera modules can thus be actively aligned and "frozen". Further processing without the lens slipping is therefore guaranteed. During the subsequent heat curing, the adhesive receives its final properties.
DELO has an extensive portfolio of adhesives with different chemistries to provide optimum solutions for the various bonding areas and material combinations for cameras and LiDAR sensors. They fulfill all optical and mechanical requirements even in the most adverse conditions, from direct sunlight under the windshield to outdoors with seasonally fluctuating temperatures, as well as rain, snow, and ice. Furthermore, due especially to the dual curing option, they enable short cycle times and thus efficient production processes.
Adhesives for radar and ultrasonic sensors
Also in the case of radar and ultrasonic sensors, adhesives frequently have to perform other functions in addition to their mechanical tasks. Take ultrasonic sensors, for example, where the adhesive helps to ensure that the sensor transmits the ultrasonic signal in high quality and does not falsify it. To ensure this, the adhesive must have good acoustic properties and the right oscillation behavior.
The light-curing epoxy resins in the DELO KATIOBOND family fulfill exactly these requirements, even within the service temperature range of –40 °C to +120 °C, and pass all required salt spray tests.
Another highlight: They enable in-line processes as well as short cycle times in series production. Preactivation ensures reliable curing even in shadowed areas and requires only one process step.
Adhesives and sealants for control units and plugs
Control units for motor or on-board electronics must be protected from humidity, media and corrosion, even under extreme temperatures. The most important task for adhesives and sealants is therefore the long-term protection of the control unit housing, plugs and other microswitches in the car. Another typical application is thermal management for power electronics. In air conditioning systems, for example, thermally conductive adhesives ensure that the heat generated under load is quickly dissipated to a heat sink.
Many DELO adhesives and sealants are developed specifically for these applications and for some of their special requirements, such as bonding to certain surface coatings. They provide the necessary reliability while enabling efficient production processes thanks to full curing or fixation within seconds and the enabling of in-line tightness testing.
DELO products properties / strengths
- Very good sealing effect
- Good thermal cycling and media resistance
- Fast curing
- In-line tightness testing
Adhesives for sensor applications in vehicle interiors
When it comes to autonomous driving, sensing technologies in the cabin also play an important role.
In addition to increasing road safety, such technologies can also help monitor a vehicle's vital functions as well as detect smaller passengers. These many tasks requrie the use of a wide variety of systems such as:
For most of these systems, DELO offers high-tech adhesive solutions with fast environmentally friendly light curing processes. This is what enables these sensors to be produced in such high quantities in highly automated production lines in the first place. Different adhesive properties, such as sealing and protecting against external influences or conductivity, can even improve the respective functions of these sensors.
Knowledge in online format
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