Madison Heights-based Henkel aims to improve durability, reduce thickness, and enhance the readability of next-generation automotive displays with a new line of adhesives for automakers and suppliers.
“This is a product that has been incorporated into various handheld devices (e.g., tablets, smartphones) over the past five or six years,” says Scott Pergande, director of Henkel’s automotive group for North America and Latin America North. “We’re now promoting it in the automotive marketplace due the advancements and needs of the automakers to include touch panels in vehicles today.”
The adhesive, part of Henkel’s Loctite line, bonds the layers of components that make up automotive displays, including navigation and entertainment systems. The adhesive, or coating, helps eliminate glare often caused by air gaps between touch panel layers.
The technology is especially important to a driver’s safety, adds Jeff Koehler, Henkel’s business development manager. “It’s a clear display, and you’re able to see the actual screen better,” he says.
Whether a driver is changing the radio or adjusting the temperature, a clearer screen translates into less time focused on the interior display and more time on the road ahead, Pergande says.
The supplier will offer demonstrations of Henkel’s Loctite Liquid Optically Clear Adhesives at its North American automotive headquarters in Madison Heights through June 30. For more information, contact Jeff Koehler at (248) 496-4468 or jeff.koehler@henkel.com.
