Henkel's TECHNOMELT XPO 1050 assists automakers in reducing weight in vehicle interiors

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Henkel Corporation's automotive group today announced the introduction of TECHNOMELT XPO 1050, a polyolefin-based hotmelt that can bond a wide variety of interior-related substrates without the need for pretreatment of the plastic surface.

Used in the development of a number of interiors applications, including door panels, rear package trays, pillar trims and instrument panels, TECHNOMELT XPO 1050 is applied through a roll coating process, requiring less adhesive than typical sprayable adhesives, while eliminating as much as 25 percent overspray waste.

"TECHNOMELT XPO 1050 can reduce vehicle mass by 0.8 to 2.2 kilograms per vehicle*," said Mark Neuenschwander, Market Segment Manager, Henkel. "In addition to weight savings, the technology provides cost savings advantages by eliminating the need for heat ovens and tunnels and pretreatment flame equipment or additional surface primers."

Vehicle interiors represent 19 percent of the total mass of the car, according to Lotus Engineering, providing significant weight saving opportunities for automakers in meeting 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards.

More information about TECHNOMELT XPO 1050 is available here. Additional information about Henkel's vehicle lightweighting efforts is available at www.henkelna.com/lightenup or on Twitter @HenkelAuto_NA.

Images: High-resolution images of a typical roll coating machine used in the application of TECHNOMELT XPO 1050 are available by contacting Carrie Cioffi at [email protected].

*Based on the amount of adhesive needed for 20 square meters.

About Henkel

Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas:
Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 47,000 people and reported sales of $21.13 billion and adjusted operating profit of $2.98 billion in fiscal 2012. Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX.

www.henkel.com/automotive

Contact
Carrie Cioffi
[email protected]
Phone: 248-840-6879

SOURCE Henkel Corporation