Henkel adhesive tests go above and beyond
How we drive, the increasing number of vehicles on the road and the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) fitted as standard to a new car, create a whole new set of metrics for performance testing.
The standard method for certification of safe drive away time (SDAT) for windscreen adhesives is FMVSS 212/208. This involves the test vehicle being driven at a solid concrete block at around 48 km/h, resulting in a 100 per cent frontal impact.
The new Henkel Crash Test Standard assesses performance at the next level. In line with the characteristics of the most common – and often the more serious – urban crash scenario, Henkel tests and analyses the performance of its windscreen adhesives on vehicles travelling at around 64 km/h, with an offset rate of just 40 per cent, against a deformable barrier.
This is called a front offset crash and the torsional stress put on the vehicle body in this test, by comparison with conventional testing, is far higher, pushing the safety standard beyond the status quo.
The effectiveness of a windscreen bond is particularly important in front collisions as it can improve the torsional stiffness of the vehicle by up to 40 per cent and provide impact resistance to protect passengers and safeguard efficient airbag opening.
In conjunction with FMVSS 212/208, the Henkel Crash Test provides vehicle repair and maintenance bodyshops, glass fitters, aftermarket product distributors and vehicle owners, with an extra layer of confidence.
Although this test has been conducted on selected Teroson windscreen adhesives since 2018, it is now applied to most products in the enhanced Teroson Bond range. Two of the seven adhesives are formulated specifically for the glass fitting market and include Teroson Bond 30 Professional, the new name for Teroson PU 8730 HMLC.
This product, which claims a SDAT of 30 minutes, was one of the first to undergo the Henkel Crash Test Standard in 2018.
The remaining five products, including the new Teroson Bond 120, are dedicated to the needs of the independent aftermarket. Collectively they provide SDATs from 15 minutes to two hours, according to Henkel.