When we think of cars rolling off the production line, we envision their assembly has come about because of some serious welding, along with numerous rivets, bolts and screws holding the structure together.
Would you be surprised to hear that many auto manufacturers also use glue to adhere some parts together?  Keep in mind this isn’t the white paste we used to try and eat in kindergarten but rather an advanced epoxy formulated to bond to specific surfaces and to withstand extreme temperatures.
You shouldn’t be concerned.  This isn’t a cheap way to cut corners.  Today’s adhesives provide many advantages.  Adhesives can actually form a bond that is tougher than the materials they are holding together.  These “glues” could be the answer to designing lighter, more efficient vehicles.
Additionally, adhesives also distribute loads more effectively than a spot weld.  When body components are joined with a spot weld, these joints absorb the force of any impact to the vehicle.  That can contribute to stress fractures.  But an adhesive would meld components across a longer surface area and that will handle the impact more effectively.
Certain epoxies are able to contract and take up some of the force distributing it evenly across the surface area.  Because of this flexibility, plane makers have been using adhesives for year.
Another advantage of adhesives is that they can be used with lighter structural materials, while welding and screws need to be anchored in thick steel.  This allows auto manufactures to take advantage of alternate materials like carbon composites or aluminum.
Temperature can affect adhesives but it must be extreme – 400 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 40 degrees.  Most drivers won’t encounter these conditions.
The use of adhesives on the assembly line is not so new.  Ford truck windshields have been secured with polyurethane for decades and several major manufacturers haven been building certain components with adhesives for the last ten years.