Researchers have identified a number of global trends that will have an impact on the adhesive business. One major trend is to use energy more efficiently—both to protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions and from a basic cost-of-energy standpoint.
A fundamental approach used for many years in the automotive industry was to reduce the weight of vehicles and thus improve gas mileage. However, further improvements will require new production methods and materials for vehicle construction. The increased use of substrates such as aluminum and composites is evidence of this ongoing transformation. For instance, a truck introduced this year uses aluminum body panels, and the structure uses a combination of rivets and adhesives to produce a vehicle that has a significantly reduced weight while still meeting safety and performance requirements.