The latest for bodies05 April 2018

News comes in this month from four suppliers of components for commercial vehicle bodybuilding

Panel Systems, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of bespoke sandwich panels and lightweight cores, has seen an increase in demand from the commercial vehicle market for Thermhex, a polypropylene honeycomb core material, for applications where weight is an issue. It has recently supplied Thermhex for bodywork in a fleet of new delivery vehicles for an online retailer. The material can be purchased in a standard sheet of 2,500mm x 1,200mm, or bespoke sizes up to a maximum of 7,000mm x 1,200mm. Thermhex is supplied in thicknesses ranging from 3.5mm to 30mm, and is also available in different core densities to suit specific applications.

Industrial manufacturers needing easier and more secure installation of heavy duty cables will benefit from HellermannTyton’s new reusable clamp. The Ratchet P-Clamp can be securely closed by hand to the desired diameter, and then released non-destructively by using a screwdriver. It is impact modified, heat and UV stabilised and is resistant to chemicals and salt spray. The clamp comes in four different sizes with four different angles.

A black acrylic foam tape, tesa ACXplus 7074, has been successfully trialled by a commercial vehicle converter in the East of England to improve the bonding process in mounting internal van rails. The customer was previously using mechanical fixings – rivets and screws – to attach loading rails to the van chassis, but was concerned about the risk of corrosion and leaks. ACXplus 7074’s application process consists of cleaning of the wall and rail, applying the tesa promoter, applying the tape, and fastening the rail. The solution was found to have increased production efficiency by significantly reducing the application time.

Paint and coatings company PPG has launched a new CV topcoat, Nexa Autocolor’s Turbo Vision. Excellent flow properties and best-in-class colour matching are said to have been at the centre of research and development. A range of binders has been developed to combine with the new premium toners. They include High Flow, Matt, Structured, Medium Solid and Direct-to-Metal. PPG says that ease of application and lower material consumption both contribute towards a 10-15% reduction in VOC emissions, resulting in healthier working conditions for painters while lowering the environmental footprint for manufacturers and paint shops.

Author
Will Dalrymple

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