In addition to addressing consumer-driven demands for improvements in vehicle safety, comfort and acoustics, and legislated challenges such as emissions technology, Dow Automotive is committed to continually seek opportunities to optimize cost saving solutions for our customers.

We have recently reached commercialization on four such initiatives:

• Blow-molded rear seats - FMVSS requirements to protect belted occupants in rear vehicle compartments, has lead Dow Automotive to develop a new blow-molded seat back. This new technology is more cost effective than current rear seat construction and works to contain mass, thereby meeting and exceeding the mandated safety standard.
• Front-end-carrier structure - New adhesive technology has enabled Dow Automotive to introduce innovative and cost-effective construction of front-end systems. The development of BETAMATE LESA (Low Energy Surface Adhesive), has enabled us to optimize materials and manufacturing processes, to produce a two-piece construction front-end carrier that is adhesively bonded. BETAMATE LESA can bond similar or dissimilar substrates like plastic to plastic or plastic to metal without the need of a primer. The front-end carrier lowers the mass of metal and plastic to reduce cost while the adhesive adds stiffness improvement.
• Bonded air intake manifold - Dow Automotive commercialized the first adhesively bonded thermoplastic air intake manifold. This application offers increased design flexibility, weight savings, improved airflow within tight packaging constraints and superior joint strength versus vibration welding.
• Hybrid bonded instrument panel - In cooperation with an OEM customer, Dow Automotive has developed an adhesively bonded plastic-to-metal instrument panel cross car beam structure which integrates the air delivery system, the steering column support and a range of other functions. Enabled by Dow Automotive adhesive and plastic technology expertise, the hybrid IP exhibits superior crash resistance and NVH performance.

We'll keep you updated as we commercialize new products and processes to provide cost effective solutions for our customers.

For additional information on how Dow Automotive can meet your specific vehicle application needs please contact the Customer Information Group (CIG):

	CIG North America		800.309.0988
	CIG Europe		800.3.694.6367
	CIG Pacific		603.7958.3392