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3M Investigating Tape Attachment Solutions for Weatherstrip Seal Applications

20 July 1999

3M Investigating Continuous Tape Attachment Solutions for Primary Weatherstrip Seal Applications; Benefits Include Speed, Value and Quality

    ST. PAUL, Minn., July 20 -- One of the traditional benchmarks
of a well-made vehicle is the satisfying "thunk" made by the door closing.  A
critical component in this quality signature is the door weatherstrip seal,
known as one of the "primary sealing" areas on today's cars and trucks, along
with hoods, trunks, liftgates and moonroofs.
    For many decades, weatherstrip attachment has followed one of several
paths, all with inherent drawbacks in terms of tooling, corrosion, weight,
retention, assembly, and sealing integrity.  A new approach to both the
application of weatherstrip seals and design of the material itself has gained
favor in Europe during the past several years, particularly by luxury marquees
such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Jaguar.
    What's new is the use of a lightweight tape attachment system in place of
mechanical fastening to achieve a true, 100-percent seal without resorting to
the use of labor-intensive welded channels or messy liquid adhesives.  The 3M
approach to high-performance weatherstrip technology is currently being
developed to achieve:

    *  Improved sealing against water and dust intrusion
    *  Noise reduction
    *  Weight reduction
    *  System cost advantage
    *  Design flexibility

    3M's tape-attached primary weatherstrip sealing system procedure
incorporates an application tool concept easily fabricated for door, hood,
trunk, etc., openings which utilizes a fixture to precisely position the
weatherstrip seal on the vehicle.  An air pressure/vacuum line pressurizes the
fixture against the sheet metal and insures a void-free bond, with estimated
cycle times projected to be a definite improvement over both currently used
tape attachment methods and traditional mechanical attachment systems.
    One of the many advantages of 3M's fresh approach to weatherstrip seal
applications may impact the seal material itself.  Due to the superior sealing
characteristics of the tape-attached methodology, lower cost sponge rubber may
in some instances be used in place of hard rubber materials.  In addition,
less complex weatherstrip seal profiles may be used to achieve an effective
sealing solution, saving design, tooling and more complex assembly costs.
    Adding to the bright outlook for this 3M-engineered technology are new
design freedoms such as the ability to fit weatherstrip into tight spaces,
achieve successful attachment to other than painted sheet metal, adhere
weatherstrip to parts with multiple sheet metal thicknesses, and easily move
weatherstrip design location and/or add seals later in the existing design
process.
    Although still in the developmental and testing stages, 3M's tape
attachment system for primary weatherstrip seals promises an exciting new
arsenal of choices to improve design freedom and provide value to consumers.

 SOURCE  3M