Bonding for Automotive Body Assemblies

Objective

The objective of this induction heating application is to heat treat structural adhesive material that has been applied to automotive component assemblies, thereby bonding the components together.

The process must achieve:

Pre-fixation of the inner and outer sheet panels within the hem flange border line (to provide stability for subsequent process steps)
Sealing/corrosion protection through polymerization of adhesive
Reduction of component distortion
Safeguarding of final component shape

Parts & Materials Description

Structural adhesive material (one or two-component)
Automotive closure panels - door, bonnet, liftgate, decklid, fender, roof panel

Temperature, Ramp Up Time and Holding Time

	Full Ring Steel One Component	Full Ring ALU One Component	Spot Steel/ALU Two Component
Temperature	160 – 210°C	140 – 180°C	100 - 110°C
Heating Time	6 – 20 SEC	30 – 45 SEC	5 – 10 SEC
Hold Time	20 – 40 SEC	20 – 45 SEC	20 – 30 SEC

Full Ring Heating with Habliflex® Inductor

For single component applications of steel or aluminium components
Process utilizes Habiflex® inductor Single curing station
Advantages: easy to install and adjust, standard spare parts
Disadvantages: limited MF current, risk of deformation in event of crash

Full Ring Heating with Rigid Copper Inductor

For single component applications of steel or aluminium components
Process utilizes rigid copper inductor
Up to three curing stations with one power supply
Advantages: high MF current, robust design
Disadvantages: more complex installation, customer-specific spare parts

Multi-Spot Heating

For two component applications with aluminium components
Process utilizes energy-efficient unit
5 kW Generator with 6 outputs and chiller
Advantages: minimized high-current paths reduce losses and maximize efficiency
Disadvantages: separate power adjustment, increased material costs

Hybrid Heating

For two component applications with aluminium components with hot-melt components
Complete heating for reception of hotmelt lubricants
Combines advantages of spot and circumferential heating
Disadvantage: increased material costs

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