During the event, Henkel experts provided information on the increasingly broad range of products and system solutions that the company has created for the composites industry.
“High-performance lightweight composites based on glass or carbon fibres in thermoplastic and thermosetting resins can be tailored to provide the right levels of strength where they are needed,” said Henkel. “For vehicle makers, that translates into reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions,along with enhanced safety and crash behaviour. Henkel works closely with its partners along the value chain to create ideal integrated solutions in composites that can be made cost effectively, in high volumes and at high speed.”
In pole position on the Henkel stand at JEC was a prime example of what is now possible with automotive composites created with Henkel materials and technical know-how: a ground-breaking leaf spring based on Loctite MAX 2 polyurethane matrix resin and continuous glass fibre reinforcement. The leaf spring, which debuted in late 2014 on the rear suspension of the Volvo XC90 premium crossover SUV, now features at the core of a lightweight rear axle concept implemented on various models. Volvo’s premium V90 estate and S90 models also incorporate the innovative design, produced using high-pressure resin transfer moulding, HP-RTM.
