Dow Corning, has introduced a silicone sealant that will help make the future brighter and safer for the 8 million riders of two wheelers in India. The new two-component sealant is used in headlight and taillight assembly, enabling Indian automotive manufacturers to greatly enhance the stability, safety and design aspects of these vehicles.
The Dow Corning sealant has high resistance to heat and excellent durability – which allows manufacturers to use higher-density bulbs in headlamp assembly – these new bulbs offer higher brightness and have a enhanced life-span, thus providing efficiency as well as a safety benefit for the end-customer.
The two component sealant also overcomes many of the disadvantages of the organic hot melt sealants that a number of manufacturers use currently, such as low temperature resistance, poor weatherability, low vibration resistance and high volatile content.
Dow Corning points to several benefits of the two-component sealant including:
- Durability: The two-component silicone sealant demonstrates a higher resistance to water, and does not break down at high temperatures – a characteristic that’s especially important in India, where variations in climate often pose a challenge.
- Anti-fogging: Since the two-component sealant does not contain any volatile compounds, it offers 100% anti-fogging capability, thus ensuring optimal light intensity.
- Adhesion: Its excellent adhesion to a wide range of substrates, such as metal, wood, painted surfaces and glass as well as many plastics, enables designers to bring to reality their more imaginative design improvements.
- Quick curing: The rapid curing time of the two-component silicone sealant means that assembled parts do not require long storage while the sealant cures. This allows manufacturers to minimize delivery time, and also helps free up much-needed warehousing space.
“Given the size of the two-wheeler market (more than eight million units produced in 2007-08 alone) and the high levels of competition, manufacturers in India are seeking to differentiate their products by offering higher levels of safety features and design aesthetics,” commented Arvind Jayaram, automotive industry manager for Dow Corning in India. “Newer materials such as silicones allow manufacturers to explore new applications as well as improve on existing ones. Silicones offer excellent thermal stability, mechanical and corrosive resistance, and are highly compatible with other materials. These properties give silicone-based materials the ability to meet challenges ranging from mechanical to aesthetic.”
“Silicone sealants are increasingly being used in headlight and taillight assembly in four-wheelers as well. Designers and engineers in India and around the world continue to rely on us for automotive products and solutions (PDF size = 965 KB) that add safety, dependability, and value to the industry.” added Arvind.