TOYOTA PLUGS LEAKAGE
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
ENERCON
TOYOTA PLUGS LEAKAGE PROBLEMS WITH
HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES WITH PLASMA SURFACE
TREATMENT
The Automotive industry relies on
component manufacturers to supply
complex components that can easily and
quickly be fi tted to cars in their assembly
process. Many of these components require
parts that are adhesively bonded together
to create water-tight seals such as in the
manufacture of headlamp assemblies.
Failure of these bonds results in headlamps
filling with water.
Modern automotive materials often
have low surface energy which results
in poor bonding, often resulting in sub-
standard components. Many automotive
manufacturers are looking for solutions to
this problem.
Plasma surface treatment is being used
by automotive manufacturers to clean,
etch and functionalise surfaces to improve
bonding of adhesives, inks, paints, coatings,
compounds and more. Plasma treatment is
effective on a wide variety of materials such
as glass, metals, composites and polymers
(PE, PP, TPO, POM, PUR, ABS, ASA, PA, Nylon,
PC, PET and PTFE).
Surface treatment is increasingly being
used when painting plastic parts, such as
bumpers and dashboards, and for adding
a protective coating to sections that suffer
from exposure to the elements.
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PECM Issue 34
It is also ideal for improving the adhesive
bond strength of adhesives used in head
lamps, gaskets, mirrors and filters. from the surface of the object. As the surface
energy increases so does the adhesive bond
strength.
Plasma surface treaters generate a focused
and concentrated plasma stream that
bombards surfaces with a high-speed
discharge of ions. Toyota Camry Headlamp
Project
This ion bombardment facilitates a micro-
etching or scrubbing effect which can
remove organic and inorganic contaminants
Hella Australia Pty Ltd, a manufacturer of
automotive lighting equipment, plastic
mouldings and accessories for the most
sophisticated new cars in the world,