For years, pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) have been creating new opportunities for improved production processes in the automotive and transportation markets. According to the Adhesive and Sealant Council Inc., one of the first uses of acrylic PSA tapes in the automotive market came about in the 1960s as a solution for replacing mechanical fasteners to attach vehicle trim, thus improving corrosion resistance.*
In the decade that followed, the association notes that acrylic adhesives were being used instead of mechanical fasteners in wire tacking, allowing for fewer parts needed for assembly; in the 1980s, hot-melt adhesives were replacing screws in interior automotive plastic bonding applications and UV-curable adhesives took the place of fasteners in headlamp assembly.