Sika is now a member of the Open Hybrid LabFactory e. V. (OHLF), a joint platform of TU Braunschweig and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Germany, for industrial partners and participating public institutions to accelerate research and development projects.
Adhesives and Coatings for Bonding in Body-in White, Assembly and Battery Production
A multi-facetted team consisting of various representatives from R&D Adhesive Systems, internal research, as well as engineering, is contributing its expertise on behalf of Sika to the Research Campus of the OHLF (website in German) in Wolfsburg and is working on the concretization of new products that enable circular processes in automotive construction.
The focus here is on the circular economy aspect. Specifically, the companies involved are looking at solutions for adhesives and coatings for elementary and/or reversible bonding in body-in white, assembly and battery production. In other words, the aim is to dismantle and recycle vehicles and their components at the end of their service life. In this way, material can be reused and introduced into new production processes.
The Research Campus is considered one of the leading addresses in Germany and Europe for the research and development of hybrid components of the future.
"For Sika, the development of new technologies for de-bonding robust adhesive joints at the end of their life cycle is a strong focus to enable circular systems in a wide range of applications. We are excited to work with other companies on solutions for future "de-bonding on demand" applications in automotive, so that resources such as steel, aluminum or plastics can be used more sustainably in the future." Christian Eyholzer, Head of Technology Assembly & Interior Adhesives, Sika Technology AG:
"The de-bonding of materials enables the reuse of valuable resources such as metals and plastics, reducing dependence on finite raw materials. Furthermore, decomposition contributes to the reduction of waste and pollution. It allows energy to be recovered from materials, for example through recycling or thermal recovery, leading to more sustainable use of resources." Andreas Fricke, Member of the Management Team of Volkswagen AG's Group Research and Head of the Elemental Bonding Project House
"We are pleased about the membership of Sika and look forward to a successful research project around production and circular economy technologies for the sustainable lightweight construction of tomorrow. The project aims to advance technologies to facilitate component disassembly, conserve resources and enable more sustainable production. Sika's participation enables the practical implementation and development of innovative solutions for the automotive industry." Stephan Schmitt, Managing Director Open Hybrid LabFactory e.V.