2016/June/20

Composite Lab to drive automotive light weighting

Henkel opens new composite test center in Heidelberg – The Composite Lab

Henkel’s newly opened Composite Lab in Heidelberg, Germany, is a state-of-the-art test facility. Here automotive customers can team up with Henkel experts to develop and test composite parts and to figure out the best production process condition to make their ideas market-ready.
As a global leader in adhesives, sealants and functional coatings for the automotive industry, Henkel is always striving to create a competitive advantage for its customers along the entire value chain of car manufacturing. It works closely with its industrial customers to create tailor-made, integrated solutions for automotive OEMs and suppliers, particularly related to cost efficiency and suitability for high volume production. Henkel’s products make vehicles quieter, lighter and more durable, while providing comfort, strength and safety.
Meeting customer needs for fast, reliable and scalable production of Composites
Automotive OEMs and Tier-1s are constantly seeking cost-effective processes suitable for production of more than 10,000 parts per year. They also want custom-formulated, fast-curing resins for use in short production cycles. This magnifies the importance of having reliable partners with in-house test capabilities, which are close to series production conditions. That’s precisely why Henkel has opened its Composite Lab, where customers can do trials using high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) equipment. The HP-RTM machine includes a 380 tons press and injection equipment for Polyurethanes and Epoxy materials.

Henkel’s diverse composites portfolio includes: 
Composite matrix resins — the Loctite MAX series is suitable for glass and carbon fiber, designed for the RTM process. This range also includes binders and release agents for fiber-reinforced components. 
Composite adhesives — the Loctite series is ideal for multi-substrate bonding and assembly. 
Process know-how and engineering expertise — for resin transfer molding process and the simulation and characterization of composite parts. 
Now OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers can come into the Henkel Composites Lab and work with our experts to learn first-hand what the options and possibilities may be for using advanced composite materials with short cycle times in their vehicles. 
For more information on the Composite Lab: www.composite-lab.com. 

Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business units: 
Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions, both in the consumer and in the industrial businesses, with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 50,000 people and reported sales of 18.1 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of 2.9 billion euros in fiscal 2015. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX.

Photo material is available at www.henkel.com/press.

Contact		Yasmin Brimo-Hayek			Kevin Noels
Phone		+49 211 7970				+31 164 317 011
E-mail 							knoels@emg-pr.com

		Henkel Adhesive Technologies		EMG

The following material is available:

Meeting customer needs for fast, reliable and scalable production of Composites. (Photos: Henkel, PR017)

Henkel opens new composite test center in Heidelberg – The Composite Lab. (Photo: Henkel, PR017)

This press release and relevant photography can be downloaded from www.PressReleaseFinder.com.
Alternatively for very high resolution pictures please contact Kevin Noels 
(knoels@emg-pr.com, +31 164 317 011).