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Based on its recent analysis of the body in white (BIW) automotive adhesives market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Sika Automotive, a part of Sika Group, with the 2015 European Award for Product Leadership. The company’s high-quality adhesives, SikaPower® and SikaSeal®, are proving invaluable to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as they strive to achieve weight reduction through the use of aluminium and other composites in the BIW stage of vehicle construction.
“Vehicle weight reduction is a complex challenge; creating a lighter body structure often results in increased interior noise and vibration issues, and decreased structural integrity in crash situations,” explained Frost & Sullivan Vice President of Research, Dr Leonidas Dokos. “SikaPower® and SikaSeal® are the most efficient BIW adhesives in the market and promise an average of 150 kilograms of potential weight reduction per car, which is nearly 10 percent.” ‘Lighter, Stronger, Safer, Quieter and Greener’ is exactly reflecting the company’s focus and key development directions.”
SikaPower® adhesives are one-component, epoxy-based, bulk hybrids that cure by the temperature influence of electro-coat ovens. All SikaPower® adhesives are available with and without glass spheres that are important to keep a required bond line distance between two metal sheets and to control the gaps. SikaPower® can bond similar as well as multi-material substrates, and is extremely age-resistant and highly durable with outstanding mechanical and processing properties.
SikaSeal® prevents bond line read through and allows the usage of thinner metals employed mainly for mastic and anti-flutter applications, thus providing significant weight savings. SikaSeal® adheres to different steel and aluminium grades, and helps reduce energy consumption in the manufacturing plants.
Sika Automotive products also enable better use of the vehicle’s functional units, such as engine power and braking systems, while decreasing fuel consumption. These features currently allow OEMs to achieve significant results in over 25 million cars worldwide each year that utilize SikaPower® and SikaSeal® technology.
In addition to product quality, market success depends on the company’s ability to work with the clients and meet their expectations. It tries to provide the best customer performance by enabling the correct use of products.
“Sika creates conditions for the mutually beneficial cooperation of all market participants from global companies to private partners,” noted Dokos. “Investment in the training of customers paves the way for introducing more efficient technologies and improves market penetration.”
As such, Sika pays significant attention to innovation and has a worldwide network of 20 R&D centres, which includes six used exclusively for automotive products and technologies. The company relies on effective solutions for early market development to capitalize on the momentum in rapidly growing markets.
In recognition of this unrelenting focus on providing best-in-class products and effective customer support, Frost & Sullivan presents Sika Automotive with the 2015 European Product Leadership Award in the BIW automotive adhesives market. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality, gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables.
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for outstanding achievement in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research.
About Sika Automotive
SIKA CORPORATE PROFILE
Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing and protecting in the building sector and the motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 93 countries around the world and manufactures in over 170 factories. Its approximately 17,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 5.49 billion in 2015.
Sika Automotive (sikaautomotive.com) is a leader in the development and the production of high performance acoustic, bonding, reinforcing and sealing systems that contribute to Lighter, Stronger, Safer, Quieter, Greener and more sustainable approaches to vehicle assembly. Sika Automotive provides automotive manufacturers and suppliers with proven materials, application engineering and validation expertise to enhance interior sound quality, improve occupant comfort and to increase structural and safety performance in vehicles worldwide. A proud recipient of the 2015 Automotive News PACE Award for mixed material bonding technology, Sika Automotive leverages development of new solutions from our 20 Global Technology Centers plus 18 Regional Technology Centers, allowing for global reach with local presence.
About Frost & Sullivan
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