Vehicle body

Henkel’s BONDERITE^® Thin Film process is effective on all major substrates and can process up to 100% aluminum. Comprised of 4 major steps, the process is significantly shorter than the traditional zinc phosphating process while also enabling cost and sustainability benefits.

BONDERITE^® Thin Film coatings are approximately 100 times thinner than zinc phosphate coatings and have a significantly reduced coating weight. This helps to reduce material cost, while placing an increased importance on effective cleaning since thin coatings are less forgiving to cleaning imperfections.

The environmental and cost benefits of the BONDERITE^® Thin Film process are significant and add up to a 20-40 percent annual cost savings when taking energy savings, sludge reduction, water savings, and maintenance reduction into account.

Due to the different surface properties of steel and aluminum body components, the Bonderite@ Two-Step process pre-treats them in two separate stages. A zinc phosphating coating will be applied on cold-rolled steel and on zinc-coating substrates while a zirconium-based coating will be applied on aluminum surfaces. 

The two step process can treat all major metals with up to 85% aluminum. The process can reduce energy and chemical usage during the production process and fluoride additives help to reduce sludge generation. In addition, the process can reduce servicing expenses, the associated downtime, and waste.

Zinc phosphate conversion coating is a trusted process designed to prepare metal surfaces for painting. There are three main steps in the pre-treatment of metals with a zinc phosphate conversion coating:

• Cleaning and activating of the metal surface 
• Application of the conversion layer
• Sealing/post-passivation

The process coats the metal surface with a polycrystalline structure that provides excellent adhesion and offers superior corrosion protection. Zinc phosphating is effective on all major metals and can process up to 30% aluminum. The low temperature option in the cleaning and conversion stages can reduce energy consumption while achieving similar performance.

Vehicles face tough environmental conditions. Road salt, moisture, road debris, and more can damage and corrode vehicle underbodies. Thin layered underbody coatings help reduce material consumption, while meeting performance requirements at the lower thickness​. Tested for: Viscosity, hardness, weather performance, corrosion, chipping/impact protection, sealing ability. 

Spray-on sound deadening materials combine easy and quick application with effective noise reduction in areas such as vehicle doors, roofs, and floor assemblies​. LASD contributes to weight reduction by replacing heavier bitumen pads and are applied through spray application for increased precision, speed, and improved cleanliness, while removing the need for tooling or part design​.

Developed for application on e-coated substrates, Henkel’s paint shop sealants & coatings ensure airtight and watertight sealing to all seam joints, enhancing corrosion protection, reducing noise and providing surface finish protection.

Henkel’s paint shop sealants provide high flexibility even at very low temperatures, and deliver good peel resistance. The sealants convert to a solid, flexible film when passing through the paint oven. Typically applied via flatstream spray, our paint shop sealants enable weight savings of up to 2.5 kilograms per vehicle through density reduction.