Ashland PLIOGRIP® Adhesive Bonds Roof to BMW Sports Sedan
1/20/2006
DUBLIN, Ohio - Using an adhesive to attach the roof of a high-performance sedan requires advanced engineering and a very high level of technical expertise. Ashland Specialty Polymers and Adhesives (SP&A), a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) met that challenge recently when it helped BMW attach a new light-weight roof to its M3 CSL sport sedan.
The BMW M3 CSL features a roof made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which is more than 13 pounds lighter than a conventional steel roof. The key to attaching this roof component relied upon a special adhesive to join the roof to the automobile body frame. After testing a number of adhesives, BMW decided that Ashland SP&A's PLIOGRIP structural adhesive, a two-component polyurethane adhesive, provided the best solution.
"We're proud to work with BMW, and to help them bring the M3 CSL to market," said Hartwig Lohse, Ph.D., European technical manager, transportation for Ashland SP&A group. "Our adhesive technology provided an essential contribution to making this special BMW model a reality."
The PLIOGRIP line of adhesives has continued to find new market applications. Developed in the 1960s, PLIOGRIP adhesives are recognized by original equipment manufacturer (OEM) designers, engineers, and material selection specialists as the leading technology in bonding systems. In addition to transportation applications, PLIOGRIP adhesive technology has been specified for marine, heavy truck, infrastructure, industrial and aftermarket repair applications.
For more information contact
Keith Grover,
product manager, Transportation & Product Assembly
Ashland Specialty Chemical
614-790-6638.
Ashland Specialty Polymers and Adhesives, a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical is a global leader in the pressure sensitive and structural adhesives for packaging and converting, building and construction, and transportation.
Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc., is a leading, worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals serving industries including adhesives, automotive, composites, metal casting, merchant marine, paint, paper, plastics, watercraft and water treatment. Visit www.ashspec.com to learn more about these operations.
Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a Fortune 500 chemical and transportation construction company providing products, services and customer solutions throughout the world. To learn more about Ashland, visit www.ashland.com.
