Primerless Tape Norbond® Z3000 for Secure and Safe Automotive Bonding

Bonding parts in automotive assembly have many advantages over mechanical fixation. Potential weak points due to holes or threads through which moisture could penetrate are avoided. In addition, adhesive solutions offer more freedom of design due to high conformability, are lighter and act as damping elements.

As today’s surfaces are often designed with highly repellent properties that make it hard to bond to, special surface treatments like primers are widely used in the manufacturing process. Applying these chemicals in an extra production step is labor intensive, can be a potential risk to workers and produces chemical waste that needs to be taken care of. So how can new tape technologies make automotive assembly faster, save money and increase protection of workers and the environment?

Ideal solutions for various surfaces, substrates and part sizes

Special adhesive tapes combine functionality with ease of use for secure attachment of protective trims, decorative trims, functional parts and small parts like at the car body, door frame, tailgate or trunk. Depending on the part size, the surface it needs to be attached to or whether it is located inside of the vehicle or facing outside stresses, different adhesive tapes are available.

For small to medium trim sizes, our Norbond Z1000 Acrylic Tape Series is formulated for durable, long-lasting adhesion and are an ideal option for automotive interior and exterior bonding on complex surfaces. For medium to large trim sizes, our Norbond Z2000 Series provide outstanding viscoelastic and adhesion properties with short-term adhesion build and excellent adhesion to automotive paint systems, as well as Medium Surface Energy (MSE) plastics such as ABS and ASA. The bonding properties of these series on substrates that resist adhesion can be improved with Norbond Adhesion Promoters.

But what if excellent bonding properties on challenging surfaces without pre-treatment are required? This is where the hour of Norbond Z3000 strikes!

Norbond Z3000 Makes the Difference in Primerless Bonding

Norbond Z3000 Series combines all advantages of primerless bonding in one adhesive tape. It is designed for superior attachment of Low Surface Energy (LSE) substrates (i.e. PP-EPDM) to OEM clear coats and can fulfill challenging specifications like Mercedes DBL 7906 and VW TL52018.

Using this tape can eliminate a full step in the automotive assembly process, as it doesn’t require pre-treatment of surfaces with adhesion promoters. This can accelerate the whole process while saving money, purchasing, logistic and storing efforts. It also supports the goal of companies to reduce their environmental footprint. Less chemicals used results in less waste and disposal costs.

Maybe the most important and critical advantage of primerless bonding tapes is the reduced risk for people applying trim components. Eliminating the need for chemical treatments in automotive trim assembly is a big plus for the workers.

To achieve this, Norbond Z3000 combines outstanding features:

• Excellent primerless adhesion to LSE plastics on non-liner side
• Strong adhesion to clear coats and MSE substrates on the liner side
• Soft, conformable, dark grey core with consistent cohesive-failure (foam split) performance
• Reliable holding power at temperatures up to 90°C