Sika’s cold-curing adhesive technologies enable the automotive industry’s shift toward modular car body construction—where large vehicle modules such as front and rear structures, battery floors, side frames, and roof assemblies are produced in parallel and joined in a cold body shop without welding.
From Welding to Bonding: Enabling Modular Design with Sika Adhesives
Sika solutions significantly reduce production time, increases flexibility, and lowers factory space and cost. Our 2C epoxy SikaPower® structural adhesives deliver high stiffness, mechanical strength, and compatibility with aluminum and e-coat substrates, ensuring robust structural joining even under low-temperature curing conditions.
2C PU SikaForce® semi-structural adhesives add versatility with adjustable curing speeds, extended open times enabled by patented Curing by Design (CbD) technology, and strong adhesion to mixed materials—allowing secure bonding of module interfaces while accommodating different thermal expansions.
STP and PU Sikaflex® sealants provide elastic sealing and bonding within and between modules, offering gap-bridging capability, high elongation, and excellent crash performance—ideal for sealing and semi-structural joints where movement or tolerance compensation is required.Together, these technologies empower OEMs to transition to faster, more efficient, and more sustainable cold body shop manufacturing.