Dow Automotive will exhibit its capabilities in structural bonding for the automotive industry at this year's SBI show which takes place in Essen, Germany from September 12th to 17th, 2005 (Hall 4, Stand 4-40H.)

Dow Automotive is the only supplier which offers both plastics and bonding expertise to create unique solutions for complex component design issues with structural or acoustical implications. BETAMATE* structural adhesives create a continuous bond on metal, plastic and dissimilar substrates to provide significant advantages over alternative assembly technologies product families. BETAFOAM* structural foams are formulated for injection into vehicle cavities to improve stiffness and impact resistance and can help achieve an overall mass reduction of about 8% of a body-in-white structure. BETADAMP* acoustical damping systems optimize cost, weight and acoustical performances.

BETAMATE
Dow Automotive structural adhesives replace welds and mechanical fasteners and join a variety of similar and dissimilar substrates without degreasing or priming. BETAMATE reduces fatigue and failure commonly found around spot welds and fasteners and also seals against environmental conditions that cause corrosion. Because BETAMATE reduces vibration by stiffening the overall vehicle structure, NVH performance may also be improved. New formulas expand to eliminate sealer; are ideal for aluminium and steel applications and include glass bead-containing materials for controlled bond-line thickness.

Typical applications include:

• Door, bonnet and deck lid hem flanges
• Weld joints in engine compartments, cockpits, roof panels
• Rails and other load-bearing members
• Bonding structural headliners directly to roof
• Bonding dissimilar substrates-plastic to plastic and plastic to metal

BETAMATE can also be used for glass encapsulation, and to bond side glass clips, primerless-to-paint cladding, primed/painted steel or plastic components and structural headliners.

BETAFOAM
BETAFOAM NVH systems are acoustical and structural foams designed to manage noise and vibration and also contribute to vehicle structural integrity. Low-density, injectable formulations form high-performance acoustical seals, thus preventing noise from resonating through vehicle cavities. High-density formulations improve body rigidity and crashworthiness. Overall weight reduction is also realised as BETAFOAM may allow for thinner wall construction of vehicle cavities. In addition, our low-MDI formulations can be applied in post-paint or in general assembly, as they may relieve ventilation requirements.

To form reliable acoustical seals as well as manage impact forces in frame structures and bumper designs, BETAFOAM can be injected into vehicle cavities, including:

• Plenum chambers
• Pillars
• Rocker panels
• Quarterlight and door panels
• Wheel wells
• Body-side joints
• frame and lateral rails
• engine cradles

BETADAMP*/**
Acoustical damping systems are a line of multifunctional vibration-damping coatings applied robotically with industry-standard equipment. BETADAMP systems include multiple-chemistry and low- or high-density materials approved for interior or exterior applications in body or paint shops or general assembly. The coating systems are chip- and corrosion-resistant, and are designed to optimize cost, weight and acoustical performance on existing and new vehicle platforms. Proven replacements for butyl bitumen vibration-damping pads, BETADAMP products contain near-zero VOCs and are PVC-free. Typical applications include underbodies, floorpans, roofs, door panels, strut towers, parcel shelves, closure panels, boot areas and exterior wheel wells.

Dow Automotive is a leading supplier of plastics, adhesives, sealants and other plastics-enhanced products for interior, exterior, under-the-hood, vehicle body structure and acoustical management applications. The organization serves global tier, OEM and aftermarket customers. With offices and application development centers around the world, Dow Automotive provides materials science expertise and comprehensive technical capabilities to its customers worldwide. For additional information about Dow Automotive products and services, visit www.dowautomotive.com. Dow Automotive is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.