Specialty Transportation Vehicles: The Need for Advanced Bonding Solutions
Vehicles like utility trucks, buses, and emergency vehicles require advanced materials capable of enduring extreme environmental conditions, including temperature fluctuations, moisture, high winds, and UV exposure. Beyond durability, these materials must maintain structural integrity and visual appeal throughout the vehicle’s lifespan.
To ensure easy installation, reliable adhesion, a clean appearance, and long-term performance, bonding tapes have become the preferred solution for securing exterior trim, emblems, roof and body side panels, and instrumentation in commercial vehicles.
5 Ways Bonding Tapes are Revolutionizing Specialty Vehicles
1. Streamlined Installation
For customers aiming to reduce assembly time, automate processes, and lower labor costs, Norbond® Bonding Tapes are a game-changer. Easy to apply and available in custom shapes or roll forms, they provide a durable bond within minutes, making them an effective replacement for traditional mechanical fasteners.
For example, Norbond A7600 and A7700 tapes can achieve 80% of ultimate adhesion within 30 minutes, offering enhanced short-term adhesion for efficient field assembly. These tapes can also be seamlessly integrated into automated assembly lines, requiring only 15 psi of pressure for at least five seconds—no specialized equipment needed. Slit rolls or pre-cut pads further simplify dispensing and application, with easy-release liners enabling quick, error-free installation.
2. Enhanced Durability and Longevity
Norbond Tapes are built to endure the rigors of specialty vehicle operations, withstanding shocks, vibrations, and dynamic wind pressures encountered during high-speed travel over rough terrain. Engineered for dimensional stability, these tapes maintain their integrity under extreme environmental conditions.
The high elongation properties of Norbond A7600 and A7700 allow them to adapt to thermal expansion and contraction, ensuring long-lasting performance despite temperature fluctuations.
3. Versatility Across Applications
Specialty vehicle bonding demands products capable of meeting or exceeding industry standards for strength and adhesion to diverse substrates. Norbond A7600 and A7700 tapes excel in peel, tensile, and dynamic shear adhesion, offering reliable performance across various applications.
These tapes bond effectively to both high and medium surface energy materials, such as metals and ABS plastic sheets, delivering durability even under extreme temperatures. Their versatility makes them a dependable alternative to conventional fastening methods in a wide range of commercial vehicle applications.
4. Enhanced Visual Appeal
Aesthetics play a crucial role in specialty vehicles, and bonding tapes can contribute to a sleek, professional finish. Black acrylic foam tapes like Norbond A7700 provide clean sightlines for discreet attachment, while the grey-colored Norbond A7600 offers a popular choice for applications requiring a subtle, polished appearance.
For smaller components like emblems and decorative trim, the V2800 polyurethane bonding tape is an ideal option, designed to minimize distortion and enhance stress distribution. In applications such as panel bonding and roof bow attachment, this tape reduces stress concentration, unlike mechanical fasteners, ensuring a smoother finish.
5. Resistance to Harsh Weather Conditions
Specialty vehicles operate in challenging environments, requiring bonding materials that resist extreme temperatures, moisture, wind, and more. Norbond tapes are engineered to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction without becoming brittle in freezing conditions or softening at high temperatures.
Designed for water and moisture resistance, A7600 and A7700 maintain adhesion and structural integrity even when exposed to liquids, making them ideal for both interior and exterior applications. Their outstanding viscoelastic properties ensure reliable performance in all weather conditions.
By addressing these five critical requirements, Norbond Bonding Tapes provide a comprehensive solution for specialty vehicle manufacturers seeking to optimize performance, durability, and aesthetics. Whether improving assembly efficiency or meeting the demands of extreme environments, these tapes are transforming the way specialty vehicles are built.
Meeting Your Toughest Challenges with Norbond Bonding Tapes
Norbond Bonding Tapes, including A7700, A7600, and V2800, deliver durability, efficiency, versatility, and aesthetic excellence for today’s specialty vehicle designs. Engineered to endure rigorous operational and environmental demands, these tapes provide distinct advantages over traditional mechanical fasteners. From streamlining installation processes to meeting the ever-evolving needs of modern vehicle construction, Norbond Tapes are the go-to solution for advanced performance and reliability.
Matrix Technology is an authorized distributor of Saint Gobain’s products across North America and the number one partner for Saint Gobain in Canada. We have been working with engineers and technology companies across the continent for 45 years as North America’s premier engineered materials partner. With manufacturing and converting capabilities in Texas, Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta our team is ready to convert your engineering ambitions into streamlined solutions.
