Product category:
Adhesives and adhesive bonding equipment
News Release from: BHR Group | Subject: SICOR bonding process
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 January 2003
Improving paint and bond adhesion
strengths
Significantly enhanced adhesion strength and durability for both painting and bonding are the benefits of a technology that can be integrated into existing manufacturing facilities.
SICOR is a revolutionary patented technology, developed by the CSIRO Division of Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology, to engineer the surface of polymers to enable high performance adhesion of surface coatings including adhesives and paints SICOR demonstrates the following key advantages over current technologies: * SICOR provides significantly enhanced adhesion strength and durability for both painting and bonding applications when compared to current methods of polymeric substrate pre-treatment
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 3 Dec 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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* It has demonstrated a greatly improved shelf-life over existing polymer treatment processes.
The effectiveness of the bond is consistent whether the adhesive or paint is applied seconds or 12 months after surface treatment.
* Its use provides cost savings by allowing the use of cheaper materials such as polyolefins, and more efficient processes in which the use of solvent-based primers is eliminated.
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* SICOR meets global environmental policies on the elimination of ozone-depleting substances, including solvents and chlorine-based materials.
* The process can be easily integrated into existing manufacturing facilities, treating at speeds up to 300m/min.
SICOR has been extensively tested, demonstrating excellent results on normally difficult to bond homopolymers and blends based on polyethylene, polypropylene, metallocene-based PP, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacetal and other plastics.
SICOR process delivery - SICOR is applied by; firstly, oxidising the polymer surface using standard techniques such as flame or corona treatment; secondly, depositing a graft chemical in water solution onto the polymer surface; and thirdly, drying excess moisture from the surface using air knives or other standard industrial drying systems.
Proven production technology for automotive applications - Holden used SICOR for the bonding of Commodore bodyside mouldings to 3M double-sided adhesive tape.
Approximately 1.5 million individual bodyside moulding components were SICOR treated for the VT and VX Commodores.
SICOR is currently being used on the Australian manufactured Toyota Camry to bond polyurethane foam to the polypropylene air bag cover.
Validation tests have also proven the ability of SICOR to meet and exceed the bodyside moulding adhesion specifications of Ford Australia.
SICOR recently passed Holden external painting specifications on a polypropylene bodyside moulding.
Target Applications - SICOR technology can provide significant benefits, including cost savings, in the manufacture of interior components such as instrument panels, air bag covers, door trims and consoles.
Taking instrument panels as an example, SICOR allows manufacturers to switch the substrate material from a higher cost Hi-Heat ABS to a lower cost polypropylene.
Other applications suitable for SICOR include soft feel paint applications, long fibre reinforced polypropylene spare wheel tubs, and painting of air deflectors and C-Pillars.
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