Open - Loctite

Official Loctite® Customer Magazine
Cool off in the Alpine snow with the most powerful
piste groomer in the world.
Read more on pages 8–11
Issue 5
18
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Reliability Report 10
Follow us on an unforgettable ride with the
new Silver Star hypercoaster at Europa Park,
­Germany.
Editorial
|
Dear Readers,
We live in a world that is moving and changing faster than ever – and the only way to keep ahead is to
think ahead. In this edition, we take a look at how our scientists and engineers develop new adhesives that make
the ­impossible possible – like Loctite® V5004 and Loctite® 3038. We can all learn something from nature too,
­especially when it comes to finding alternatives to plastic. Discover how bioplastic will change our world for the
better in our Trend Report.
It is our passion for innovation that motivates us to break new grounds. Read how we support the world’s
­engineering students who use Henkel products to save weight and boost performance in this exciting ­international
racing championship. If you are also thrilled by speed and wondered what extreme G-forces feel like, then take
a ride with us on The Silver Star, Euro-Park’s hair-raising hypercoaster. Discover another fearsome machine –
the Prinoth Beast, the most powerful ski-piste groomer in the world that resists sub-arctic temperatures and 45°
mountain slopes.
And last, but by no means least, we would like to congratulate motorbike ace Marc Coma on winning the 2011
Dakar Rally. Read more about his incredible story and how Loctite® saved his race.
Cédric Berthod
Vice President and
General Manager
Henkel General Industry
Europe
Yours sincerely,
Cédric Berthod
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Content
4
6
8
12
6
Highlight: Formula Student
Follow us right into the paddock of this
­electrifying junior motorsport series.
Highlight: Dakar Rally
Insights on how the 2011 race has been won –
with the help of the Loctite® on-board repair kit.
Reliability Report 9: Prinoth
Get a snowy cooling in the Alps – in action with
the most powerful piste groomer in the world.
8
14
22
23
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Trend Report
Learn how plastic production will change for a
cleaner and better future.
Handy Hints
Discover our new online tool that helps you to
find the perfect structural bonding solution within
seconds.
Outlook
Some of the topics for the next issue of Loctite®
at work.
RD&E Insights
Take a peek into the laboratories where Loctite®
engineers make the impossible possible.
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| Highlight
Zwickau’s FSE team, which has won
the Award for “Best use of ­adhesives”
Racing into the future
The Loctite® judges in session
The Loctite® tent provided vital
­support
Learning by doing at the
­Hockenheimring
A typical pit scene
The only way to appreciate the incredible diversity at the Formula Student Germany 2010
Hockenheimring event was to wander around the paddock full of neat little racing cars.
As highly-tuned combustion engines crackled loudly into life, electric-driven racers whirred
quietly by. You could see and hear the innovation.
But it was not just the pits that were buzzing with activity, so was the Loctite® tent – with student mechanics looking
for last-minute repairs and advice, like the Politechnica Wroclawska team who turned up in a big hurry with a leaking
fuel line. “We cannot risk damaging the parts by using any heat. The Loctite® engineers advised using Hysol® 9492,
an epoxy adhesive. It is quick and safe. Just what we are looking for,” explained team mechanic Mateus Roszkowski.
Formula Student is open to universities and technical colleges around the world, and Hockenheimring is one of the
­highlights of the season. The rules are simple: the brief is to design and build a compact, high-performance prototype
aimed at the amateur racer market. It must be low on cost, low on maintenance but high on performance, design and
quality. Teams are assessed over a range of disciplines designed to measure their engineering and business skills, with
the winner having the best overall performance. In 2010, the DUT Racing Team from the TU Delft took the honours with
their 450cc single-cylinder-driven masterpiece. Formula Student has proved so popular that the online subscription closed
within seconds of going live, with 98 teams from all over the world registering – and 78 made it to the Hockenheimring!
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Highlight
Fast, silent and electric
The race into the future got off to a flying start with the
­debut of Formula Student Electric at the Hockenheimring
in 2010, with the GreenTeam Uni Stuttgart winning the
­overall event. The student engineers have no doubts that
their championship will play a vital role in the development
of a cleaner mode of transport for tomorrow.
­ niversity of Applied Sciences Zwickau’s FSE team won
U
the award – the second year running for Zwickau. “One
of our applications for the award benefited from some of
­Henkel’s oldest adhesive know-how. We used Loctite®
620 for the shaft-hub connection on our innovative electric
motor,” says Sebastian Fethke. “It fitted our team ­slogan
‘­Innovation meets tradition’ perfectly.”
But don’t make the mistake of thinking that ‘clean’ means
‘slow’. A full-blooded Japanese racing bike ­engine might
sound faster than a quiet electric motor, but is it? Thanks
to a better torque curve than a combustion engine,
­acceleration from an electric motor can be even quicker,
despite cars weighing 30–50kg more because of the
­batteries. So how fast is that? About 3.5 seconds from
0 to 100km/h ... and virtually silent!
Investing in tomorrow with Formula Student
Henkel’s investment in Formula Student is already
­promising rich returns. Rudolf Neumayer, head of ­General
Industry European technical service, explains: “­Industry
­engineers are very specialised and must follow strict
­guidelines, but Formula Student engineers have a much
wider overview and are far freer. They find creative new
ways of using ­adhesives. The next generation recognises
the ­considerable benefits and we expect that to lead to
greater demand for our products.”
A paradigm change
Many car companies still rely on traditional bonding
­methods to produce their cars, but for the engineers
of ­tomorrow, the future definitely belongs to adhesives.
­Formula Student engineers are already using these new
possibilities to design the demanded lightweight and
­downsized automobile constructions.
“Henkel embodies the spirit of Formula Student Germany,
mixing theory and practice,” says Tim Hannig, the ­Formula
Student Germany chairman. “With the student training
­programme, designers learn how to integrate adhesives
into the construction of the car. And with the Loctite® tent,
the mechanics can get advice and practical help – a really
vital first-aid service for our competitors.”
Innovation meets tradition
The Henkel Award for “Best use of adhesives” aims
to ­encourage students to use Loctite® products. The
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| Highlight
The stuff of c
­ hampions
The Dakar Rally is famous for pushing man and machine to the limit, but even by its
own ­standards, the 2011 Argentina–Chile rally was an especially arduous ­challenge.
There were plenty of flying stones and debris around to smash up ­b odywork,
­transmissions and cooling systems – in a split ­second, a race leader could be
­relegated to ­s pectator. No matter how good man and machine are, to win the Dakar
you need a highly skilled ­s upport team to patch up the damage quickly and safely.
Loctite® to the rescue
After seven years of service, the Loctite® team of six
­engineers, or “Charlies”, are now part of the Dakar – and
like the competitors, they are made of tough stuff. Take
chief Charlie Jean Gaborit from France. “I love the Dakar –
it is a real team effort. No one can win without the ­support
of their mechanics – or us! From major repairs to fixing
boots, ­Loctite® has the products and the know-how to
get c
­ ompetitors back on track.”
Not just heat and dust …
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Highlight
But what happens when the mechanics are not there?
Even then, all is not necessarily lost. Marc Coma was out
alone in the Chilean wilderness when his bike suddenly
fishtailed and crashed, sustaining a serious radiator leak.
“I thought my race was over,” recounts Coma, the ace rider
from Barcelona. “But I had Loctite® 3463 with me – it is
very easy to use and dries fast, so I could keep my overall
lead. The only hard part was finding the leak!”
It is Loctite’s drive to innovate that works such ­wonders.
For example, Loctite® 3090 – the only instant ­adhesive
with gap-filling up to 5mm – made its debut on the 2010
Dakar. And it was thanks to this innovation that the lights
did not go out on Orlando Terranova’s 2011 rally. ­After
a bad knock, the Loctite®-sponsored BMW X3 ­suffered
damage to the plastic mounting of its headlight. “They
had no ­replacement, so we used Loctite® 3090 to repair
the ­damage. After ten minutes, Terranova was back on the
road,” says Jean Gaborit proudly.
While the Dakar teams get a lot out of Loctite®, it works
both ways. Jean Gaborit expands: “The Dakar gives us the
­opportunity to know our products even ­better. For ­example,
we used Loctite® 3463 to fix a broken ­brake ­caliper
­housing that reaches very high temperatures. ­Although the
­recommended continuous service ­temperature is 120°C,
it held perfectly until the end of the race, despite all the
Coma celebrates his hard-fought third
Dakar title
Fixing a broken headlight mount with
­Loctite® 3090
v­ ibration. That is very useful to know. The Dakar, after all,
is about discovering your limits – for manufacturers as well
as competitors,” he adds with a wink.
Reliability
at work
Loctite® 3463
•Easy to use: steelfilled k­ neadable stick
•Adheres to damp
­surfaces and cures
even underwater.
Sets in ten minutes
Loctite® 3090
•Fast curing two-­
component
­cyanoacrylate
•Transparent gel
•Dries in
90–150 ­seconds
•Fills gaps of up to
5mm
•Ideal for ­bonding
a large variety of
­substrates
Marc Coma blasting through the desert on his Henkelsponsored ­factory KTM 450 RR to win the 2011 Dakar –
his third: “I had to fight the whole way against really
tough ­competition and gruelling ­conditions. The scariest
moment was the crash on the fifth stage that punched
a hole in the radiator. If I had not had my ­Loctite® ­repair
kit with me, my race would have been over – but with
­Loctite® 3463, I stopped the leak and finished that stage
third!”
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| Reliability Report 9
A beast, but beautiful
It is getting dark, it is already -16°C, it is beginning to snow and you
are on an icy 30 degree-steep slope. Not exactly perfect ­d riving
­conditions, but the sleek metallic ­s ilver ­Prinoth Beast does not
even blink. No wonder – this monster piste groomer is the most
­p owerful in the world! It is also the most efficient, with over 40%
more grooming area, which is good news for the environment.
The heart of the Beast is the 12.5 litre Caterpillar C13 Acert turbo diesel engine, which delivers a huge
527hp at just 1,800rpm and conforms to Euromot III A guidelines. Four 180cc Bosch ­Rexroth ­hydrostatic
pumps transmit the power to the tracks and drive the tillers and blades. But the Beast is not just about
performance, it is also about looks and comfort. Styled inside and out by the world-­famous Pininfarina
design studio, it is as easy on the eye as it is on the body.
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Reliability Report 9
Massive 7.1m wide power tiller
Side wings for perfect pistes
The hydraulic valve unit
Loctite® 638 and Loctite® 572
seal hydraulics
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| Reliability Report 9
Night and day
Overall track area is 45% more than that of its closest rival, which means the pistes get prepared faster. ­
Loctite® 638 retains the ice studs and ­aluminium track blades.
Reliability
at work
Customer:
Prinoth AG / SpA,
­Sterzing / Vipiteno, Italy
Tasks:
Threadlocking
Retaining
Sealing
Products:
Loctite® 243
Loctite® 572
Loctite® 638
Piste grooming is best done at night when skiers
and boarders are in the bars or tucked up in bed. But
out there, it is not quite so cosy, with temperatures often
30 ­degrees or more below freezing and slopes that can be
over 45 ­degrees steep. ­Prinoth relies on Loctite® products
extensively in the Beast to secure components and seal
hydraulics, no ­matter how low the mercury gets.
Is this for real?
Skiers staring downhill at the start of a steep black slope
know what to expect – that thrilling acceleration, that rush
of cold air, that hissing snow. In the Beast you have the
same view, but the similarity ends there. You sit snugly
in a comfortable rally-style seat, prevented from tipping
­forward by your harness, at a comfortable 20°C and with
some nice lounge sounds from Kruder & Dorfmeister on
the hi-fi. Then, best of all, you suddenly spin round and
go back up that same steep slope, shifting several tons of
snow at the same time! And despite the crazy angles, you
feel ­completely stable and in control. The machine with its
527hp and 2,216Nm of torque is as powerful as a ship.
There is no dramatic acceleration or braking, just the ­feeling
that nothing can stop you.
Big benefits
The rationale behind the Beast is that thanks to its power
and grooming performance, it can prepare pistes far more
efficiently than smaller machines – saving up to 40% on
time and costs. Prinoth belongs to ­LEITNER ­Technologies,
who know the ski infrastructure business inside out. The
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Italian conglomerate, based in ­Sterzing, is a world leader in
ski lifts and installations and is also a major force in ­urban
cableways and wind turbines.
Keeping the driver fresh and relaxed is also important –
tiredness means more breaks and increases the chance
of mistakes. That is why Prinoth worked with Pininfarina
to design a cockpit that is simple and intuitive to use. The
workmanship is naturally to the highest standards – and
fully customised so that the Beast fits the exact individual
specifications of drivers and resort owners.
Safety and control
Piste grooming is not without its hazards, and resorts use
their piste groomers not only to prepare the slopes but
also to prevent any dangerous build-up of snow. ­Control
is the key to safe operation and the Beast uses CANbus ­technology that integrates operational systems with
driving conditions to deliver real-time data for on-board
­diagnostics, so that drivers know exactly what is going on
around them. And for the worst-case scenario, the ­cockpit
is protected by a safety cage.
Synonymous with reliability
Prinoth machines are known for their quality and ­reliability,
which is why only the very best partners, such as ­Pininfarina
and Caterpillar, are chosen. But as the saying goes, you are
only as strong as your weakest link, so to make sure those
links stay as strong as possible, Prinoth’s ­assembly plant in
Sterzing works with Loctite® products – from ­sealants and
Reliability Report 9
Uncompromising efficiency
Prinoth’s works in Sterzing / Vipiteno, ­Italy,
where the Beast and other machines
take their final shape. Components and
parts shipped from Canada, the US or
­local plants are quickly but carefully hand
­assembled by the 150 employees.
“We need to work fast, but without any
compromise on safety or reliability. That
is why we use Loctite® products, which
are easy to work with,” says Peter ­Wieser,
head of assembly. “Our ­customers ­expect
100% reliability from us – and we know we
can rely 100% on Loctite®.”
Peter Wieser
Head of assembly
general adhesives, to threadlockers and ­retainers. “There
is no production line here as such ­because the ­machines
are customised and not mass-­produced,” ­explains ­Peter
­Wieser, head of assembly. “That means we must be
­flexible. Luckily for us, Loctite® has the right product for
all our requirements – clearly labelled and easy to use too,
which is vital when things get busy.”
Hydraulics are crucial to the Beast, ­driving
the tracks, blades and tillers. ­Sealants
must be able to cope with ­pressures
of up to 500bar and ­temperatures way
­below zero. Thomas Strickner, ­assembly
­mechanic, uses Loctite® 638 to seal
hoses and joints. “You can use it safely
with a lot of different materials and it is
very strong. Because of the extreme
­conditions, any mechanical failure is
­potentially very ­serious – which is why we
must always deliver the highest ­quality of
workmanship.”
Thomas Strickner
Assembly mechanic
Track-drive wheel secured with M20 bolts
tightened to 365Nm and threadlocked
with Loctite® 243.
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Making the impossible possible
Modern alchemists at work
What sets Henkel and its brand Loctite ® apart from the competition is their passion
for research and development. Like the ancient alchemists on their mission to find the
way to turn base metals into gold, Loctite’s engineers and scientists are looking for a
way to bond the unbondable – but unlike the alchemists, Loctite ® has succeeded in
working its magic.
Chris Hollands
Technology Manager Europe
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Today’s world is literally held together by ­structural
bonding adhesives that are increasingly replacing ­traditional
fastening methods like riveting or welding. Whether it’s
the medical industry or renewable energy, Loctite® has a
­reputation for coming up with the answers. Chris ­Hollands,
technology manager for structural ­adhesives in ­Europe,
­explains: “Most adhesive manufacturers offer adhesives,
but what sets us apart is that we offer solutions for ­almost
every application – we make the impossible possible
across the whole 360° of industrial assembly applications.
Within structural bonding we have five core technologies
that we are continuously developing – epoxies, acrylics,
­silicones, polyurethanes and silane-modified polymers,
which ­together enable us to find the right solutions for
our customers’ needs. Loctite® 3038 and Loctite® V5004,
new additions to our range, are good examples of that.”
Loctite® 3038 – never say never
Some things just do not mix well – like polyolefins
­(polypropylene and polyethylene) and steel – which
was causing the automotive industry serious problems,
­particularly when trying to fix headlights, front and rear
ends, dashboards and exterior trims. There were few very
good products available – and none that could ­handle
this challenge without a lot of time-consuming surface
­pretreatment with the likes of plasma, flame or ­primers.
That was until a leading German car manufacturer
­approached Loctite®.
“Our product development team in Dublin got the brief to
come up with an adhesive that would bond ­polypropylene
mouldings to painted steel without pretreatment in the
very challenging under-bonnet environment,” explains
RD&E Insights
Peter Wrobel, senior development scientist for Europe.
“­After 18 months of development and testing, we came up
with Loctite® 3038, a high-performance but ­easy-to-use
­two-component acrylic. It has opened up a whole new
range of opportunities for engineers when designing
bonded assemblies.”
Originally developed for the car industry, Loctite® 3038
is now being used in areas like marine engineering, filter
manufacture and construction of point of sale displays.
Brett Jenkinson, senior sales engineer, UK, who works
closely with marine and water sports customers, explains
its ­appeal: “It’s perfect not only for use in the ­construction
phase, but also for repairs. It’s quick, user-friendly and
­ ffers the same performance whether substrates are
o
treated or untreated.”
Loctite® V5004 – invisible power
“Loctite® V5004 is a transparent, high-strength structural
adhesive that can bond a wide range of substrates, which
is pretty much unique,” says Hollands. “Fast curing, it’s
an important addition to our range designed to provide
360° solutions.”
www.360bonding.com/uk
Companies that need quality adhesives that are totally
transparent have been impressed by Loctite® V5004’s
­performance, reports John Dubber, Loctite® technical
­customer service, UK. “One of our customers ­manufactures
cosmetic display units that require total transparency. They
use the adhesive in the construction phase and value the
fast setting time and ease of use.”
With these excellent qualities, Loctite® V5004 is also
­perfect for the signage industry. “It’s important to have an
adhesive that can be simply applied and that combines
high performance with quick curing times,” says Dubber.
The transport industry in France has also taken to ­Loctite®
V5004, because it is shock and vibration resistant – which
makes it perfect for such applications as ­securing lighting
fixtures in trains. From Plexiglas and acrylics to ­aluminium,
Loctite® V5004 ensures transparent, ­high-strength
­bonding.
“Our customers come to us for innovation,” says Hollands
proudly. “No matter what they need to bond, no matter
what the conditions are, if it’s technically feasible, we’ll find
a way. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s back to the lab,” he
smiles apologetically. “We have a couple more surprises
up our sleeve.”
Reliability at work
Loctite® 3038
Loctite® V5004
Features & Benefits
Features & Benefits
•Very good adhesion to
polyolefin s­ ubstrates (PP, PE)
•Clear bond line after curing
•Gap filling up to 2mm
•Good adhesion to metals and plastics
•Thixotropic; application on vertical
surfaces possible
•Shock and vibration resistant
•Fast curing, fixture time of three minutes
•Solvent-free, low odour
•Good impact resistance
•Non flammable
Please visit our 360º Bonding website where you will find
many more innovations, product details and an on-line
­application guide www.360bonding.com/uk
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| Trend Report
In
the circle
of life
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Trend Report
Bioplastics – learning from nature
Plastic – a success story that began in 1910 with the industrial production of Bakelite.
Today, 100 years later, a world without plastics would be a world ­w ithout computers,
telephones, cars, aeroplanes, medical care, mass production of food, high-quality
­insulation products and much more. Nevertheless, plastic has a serious ­p roblem: it is
virtually immortal. But solutions are in sight.
Today, the annual production of plastic products is
285 million tonnes a year, including 14 million tonnes of
­polystyrene and 40 million tonnes of PET. As an ­illustration:
this amount corresponds to the volume of some 100 Great
Pyramids of Giza made of non-foamed plastic, plus 250
styrofoam pyramids and 12 pyramids made of PET –
mainly bottles and packages – every year.
A brief history of plastic
In the mid-19th century billiards had become the new
­national pastime of the Wild West. But billiard balls were
made of ivory and therefore expensive. Inspired by a
$10,000 prize, in 1866 John Wesley Hyatt ­developed
­celluloid, made of cellulose nitrate (guncotton) and
­camphor, to replace ivory. But the production of ­celluloid
was an extensive process, the necessary raw materials
were expensive and sometimes a billiard ball caught fire
because of remaining quantities of nitric acid.
opened up a wide variety of technical features for plastics
and a previously unknown variety of colours, shapes and
­practical uses.
In the record-breaking year of 1976, plastic was for the
first time the most widely used raw material in the world.
­However, at 50 million tonnes, the volume produced in
1976 was, compared to the current volume of 285 ­million
tonnes, relatively modest. Plastic products now have
­virtually all the features and requirements asked for by
consumers, ­technicians, and the economy. And in most
cases, with very competitive prices compared to other raw
materials. But the growth is not without consequences:
1. To produce these quantities of plastic, more than 4%
of the world’s crude oil production is used by the ­plastics
industry. As regards increasing prices of crude oil this is
of lesser importance for expensive plastics, but it may
­become an economic challenge in the low-price segment.
But the almost unlimited pliable plastic that could be
­produced in any colour quickly conquered ­consumers’
hearts: Jewellery, bowls, toys and artificial teeth were made
of celluloid, long before it was used in ­photography and
film.
2. With the falling prices of plastics the field of usage
­increased, to the point where it has become a daily
­disposable product that is produced to be used for just a
few minutes, before it is ­discarded forever.
From cotton to coal and oil
Celluloid was of very limited use industrially due to its
­flammability, as the ascending importance of the electricity
industry was hardly compatible with flammable cellulose.
3. The accumulated waste is an ­increasing ­burden on the
economy and the environment. The particular ­advantage
of modern plastics, their durability, turns into a problem for
generations as soon as plastic becomes waste.
In 1910 Leo H. Baekeland solved the problem by
inventing a non-combustible material made of the mass
waste from the coal industry (phenol), thus providing the
electrical ­industry with a burst of development: instead
of ­expensive metal or wood cases, and glass or ceramic
­insulators, it was now ­possible to produce machine parts,
telephones, radios and vacuum cleaners quickly and
­relatively cheaply.
The dark side of the boom
In 1997 Charles Moore, member of the Algalita ­Marine
­Research Foundation, discovered a floating plastic field
that extended far beyond the horizon when he sailed in
a regatta between California and Hawaii. More ­detailed
­investigations revealed that a sea of plastic waste has
­accumulated in recent years in the Pacific Ocean. This
waste field has now grown to a volume of about 100 ­million
tonnes, floating slowly in a huge circle ­between ­California
and Japan. The centre of this so-called Great ­Pacific
­Garbage Patch in-between the West Coast of the
United States and Japan covers an area of 1.8 million
square ­kilometres and is as big as Alaska or Libya, or five
times as large as Germany or Japan.
But Bakelite was by nature always dark in colour, hard
and brittle, and therefore suitable only for a limited area
of applications.
The turnaround came after 1930 with ­petroleum-based
plastics: polyethylene, PVC, nylon, rayon and ­polypropylene
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| Trend Report
But the Pacific Plastic Vortex is not the only one to be found. A total
of five large plastic vortexes are known worldwide: two in the ­Pacific,
two in the Atlantic and one in the Indian Ocean. The biggest ­pollution
density was discovered by researchers in the North Pacific, where up
to 320,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre are ­swimming in the
ocean. The UN Environment Programme estimated in 2006 that up to
90% of the floating waste in the oceans is plastics.
Global production of plastic material (%)
Source: WG Market Research and Statistics
Japan
Asia (without Japan)
Internationally, only a few countries have a comprehensive recycling
­system for plastic waste, such as Switzerland, where 98% of plastic
waste is recycled or used for energy production. Globally, the ­recycling
rate of plastics is only 5%.
29
Rest of the world
4
Africa, Middle East
6
The bright side of life
In times of increasing scarcity of raw materials and steady increase in
oil prices, research focuses on tackling the problem at the root: the fact
that most plastics are non-biodegradable. In terms of product usage,
this product attribute is in most cases neither necessary nor requested.
6
5
Eastern Europe
8
Germany
Western Europe
(without Germany)
The solution was found in biodegradable polymers. They have ­similar
properties to their petroleum-made cousins, but – depending on the
type – can be composted within a few weeks or months. Numerous
­examples of their usage indicate that the quality of these bioplastics is
quite competitive:
26
16
North America
• In 2008 Airbus launched a research programme to substitute fibreglass
fabrics with natural fibres such as hemp, flax and kenaf as a composite
material for aircraft interiors. The fibres can be used in items such as
the side walls, the roof covering, seats, insulation and in other areas.
• Ford already uses over 290 components made from renewable raw
materials in its European car models, thus processing 27,000 tonnes
of bioplastics per year.
• The BMW 7 Series uses 24kg of renewable resources per car, ­including
13kg of natural fibres in the door panels and sound ­insulation.
• In 2006 Mazda introduced an environmentally friendly bioplastic for
car interiors, which consists of 88% cereals and only 12% petroleum
substances.
• The bioplastics company Gehrplastics, which won an award in 2008,
­manufactures semi-finished products made from ­biopolymers for
­industrial use that are similar to products made from petroleum in
their ­physical and chemical properties.
Recycling of plastic material within the EU
Source: www.plasticeurope.org
Switzerland
Denmark
Germany
Sweden
Belgium
Austria
Netherlands
Norway
Luxembourg
France
Italy
Slovakia
Hungary
Finland
Czech Republic
Spain
Portugal
Estonia
United Kingdom
Slovenia
Ireland
Latvia
Romania
Poland
Bulgaria
Malta
Cyprus
Lithuania
Greece
But not every kind of plastic made from biological raw materials is
­necessarily naturally degradable. In some cases this is not requested
and would be dangerous – no one would appreciate slowly decaying
­components in cars or aeroplanes.
But now bioplastics provide the ability to design a material that can,
depending on its use, be permanently preserved or decay a short time
after usage.
Recycling rate in %
0
10
20
30
Recycling rate
Thermal recycling
at work | Issue 5
Regarding the processing of biopolymers, there are, compared to
­petroleum-based plastics or metals, certain differences to consider. Since
the chemical properties of bioplastics are close to those of ­products
made from petrol, modern processing and bonding ­techniques can be
used to produce competitive, market-accepted and ­environmentally
compatible products.
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
The future
The production and use of bioplastics has already taken root where
particular material properties, recyclability and environmental market
requirements exist.
Trend Report
Reliability
at work
Facts:
245 million tonnes:
Plastic production per
year worldwide (­without
PET)
Plastic is essential for aircraft manufacturers, …
… modern cars …
In the future, typical applications of petroleum-based
­plastics can be covered by bioplastics:
As soon as the economies of scale take effect in the
­bioplastics ­industry due to increasing capacities, their
use will be as common as using ­petroleum-based ­plastics
­today.
Mechanical engineering
In mechanical engineering, the vibration-damping
­properties of ­biogenic material reduce material stress and
thereby help to ­extend ­maintenance intervals and ­optimise
usage times. Cotton-based ­insulation ­materials, often
themselves already made from recycled materials, also
help reduce the acoustic load.
Aviation
Airbus and Boeing are using renewable resources for the
­development of their new generation of aircraft. In the cabin
interior they are used for trim and seats. And Boeing uses
kenaf-based carbon to produce parts of the lightweight
wings of the upcoming Dreamliner.
The mountains of plastic waste in landfills and oceans will
stop growing and will eventually disappear.
40 million tonnes:
Annual production of
PET plastic (for bottles,
cans, cones) per year
50%:
Proportion of p
­ lastic
that is recycled in
­Europe
5%:
Proportion of p
­ lastic
that is recycled
­worldwide
1%:
Percentage of
­biodegradable plastics
450 years:
“half-life” of a ­plastic
bottle
5000 years:
“half-life” styrofoam
Wind power
The rotor blades of wind power plants, currently mainly
­produced from GRP, offer a wide range of applications for
the use of fibre-reinforced ­bioplastics. They facilitate the
­expensive disposal of the rotor blades and improve the
overall environmental performance of the systems.
Yet only about 1% of the plastics manufactured ­worldwide
are b
­ iodegradable.
But this will change very soon with the increasing price of
crude oil, the growing cost of waste disposal and stricter
legal guidelines for the use of plastics in consumer goods.
The global capacity for production of bioplastics is already
increasing exponentially. With an average growth of 8 to
10% per year, ­bioplastics may cover up to 30% of world
plastic demand in the medium term.
… and the wind power industry.
at work | Issue 5
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17
18
| Reliability Report 10
Sleek, aerodynamic design
at work | Issue 5
Reliability Report 10
Silver Star
Love it or hate it, you will never forget it ...
1,620m long and 73m high for a three-minute
adrenaline-filled ride!
If you have ever wondered what the acceleration and G-force of a Formula One car feels like, then you
should take a trip on Europa-Park’s h
­ ypercoaster, the Silver Star. But it is not just the performance that is
­hair-raising – so are the heights. And it is all done by gravity ... 130km/h and over four G’s!
Hypercoasters are steel constructions that are super-tuned for maximum speed and airtime –
that is negative G for that ­flying feeling. The enormous forces call for the highest ­standards
of ­engineering and maintenance. The Silver Star meets all ­Germany’s stringent TÜV safety
­requirements.
Guide wheel assembly
The crucial safety bar
The beginning: smiles and relief all
round
Much, much bigger than any
­picture can show
at work | Issue 5
|
19
20
| Reliability Report 10
Reliability
at work
Customer:
Europa-Park, Germany
Task:
Threadlocking ­safety
bar units.
Threadlocking ­guide
wheels.
Retaining guide wheel
ball-bearing cages.
Products:
Loctite® 243
Loctite® 638
Loctite® 7063
at work | Issue 5
Do not hang on tight!
The Silver Star feels reassuringly solid. The seats could
be out of the latest rally car, but it is the safety bar that
impresses the most. It is a heavy steel construction with
a futuristic handlebar unit clad in black padding that fits
snugly and shuts with a satisfying clunk to hold you firmly
in position.
Extreme performance, extreme thrills
The ride begins with a slow, nerve-wracking climb that
presses you deep into your seat. As the train reaches its
73m peak, it almost stops – but then shrieks of terror and
delight break out as the Silver Star suddenly goes into ­free
fall, accelerating to 130km/h, thundering through a ­series
of turns and drops designed for maximum ­airtime. The
more timid hang on to their handlebars, while the ­daredevils
hold up their arms to make the most of the negative G –
secured by their safety bar, of course. Just as you begin
to think it must be all over, the train suddenly rockets into
a horseshoe with a 120° bend for the ­thrilling grand finale.
Then the screams of exhilaration become cries of joy and
relief as the riders feel the train decelerate and realise they
are still in one piece. How do they do it? Truly mind-­blowing
performance equalling the ­acceleration and G-force of a
Grand Prix car – but without an ­engine! How do they make
sure it runs smoothly and safely?
High tech and traditional values
Rollercoasters have come a long way since the old ­Russian
mountain days – they were originally ice runs on wooden
supports, up to 25m high, dating back to the ­fifteenth
­century from St Petersburg. Now the latest – like the ­Silver
Star – are computer-controlled. The speed and ­passenger
load are constantly calculated to apply just the right amount
of magnetic braking, but just like the ­Russian mountain
times, vibrations and safety are still ­issues. To ensure that
the safety bars do their job, they must be ­vibration-proof.
Hans Volz, the chief engineer in charge of Silver Star
­maintenance, relies on Loctite® 243: “We check all
108 bars every day and annually strip the units down
­completely for detailed inspection. For reassembling them
we use it to threadlock the bolts that connect the ratchet
parts to the main bar.
Because Loctite® 243 is medium strength, it is strong
enough to withstand the loads and vibrations, but can be
disassembled for maintenance. It is perfect for us.”
Keeping the wheels rolling
The guide wheels are crucial to providing a fast but safe
ride and keep the train locked to the track from above,
­below and from the side. Like the safety bars, the ­wheel
units are checked daily – and stripped down, ­examined
and ­reassembled every year. The steel ­ball-bearing cages
must be completely removed from the aluminium wheels
for a full inspection, and when there are 120 wheels to
check altogether, efficiency is important.
Reliability Report 10
Cleaning with Loctite® 7063
Safety bar and ratchet mount
|
21
Applying Loctite® 243
Ready for assembly
Retaining ball-bearing casing with
­Loctite® 638
Fastening wheels to train, the bolts
­threadlocked with Loctite® 243
Chief mechanic Volz has a useful trick: “Because ­aluminium expands
faster than steel, we warm up the wheels to 70°C, which allows us to
simply push out the steel ball-bearing cage. We then clean all ­surfaces
with ­Loctite® 7063. We use Loctite® 638 for fixing the cage – it’s a
high-strength retainer, ideal for dealing with ­cylindrical metal parts.”
­Loctite® 243 is used to threadlock the bolts that secure the ball-­bearing
cage casings and also to threadlock the bolts that fasten the wheels
to the train.
“Loctite® 243 saves us a lot of time, but doesn’t compromise ­reliability in
any way,” adds Achim Stoss, the engineer responsible, amongst other
things, for Silver Star maintenance. “It holds tight for as long as we need,
but we can still dismantle parts with hand tools.”
Despite being Germany’s largest theme park and the ­biggest seasonal
park in the world, Europa-Park is still a family business. “The Mack ­family
have been in the ­rollercoaster business since the 1920s. The traditional
­family values still continue – you see that in the pride ­people take in
their work here,” says Alfred Kaltenbach, Loctite’s sales area manager.
A relationship built on trust
Europa-Park has just celebrated its 35th birthday, although it does
not show its age, looking as if it was just finished yesterday. Even the
­immaculate Silver Star is over eight years old. Maintenance and ­testing
are crucial to ­maintaining the highest safety standards and reducing
­repair bills.
“Responsibility is part of our job, but
so is ­efficiency. That’s something the
­Loctite® team understand.”
Hans Volz
Silver Star chief ­mechanic
“I have been working closely with
­Europa-Park for 18 years now. Rather
than having a ­supplier-customer
­relationship, we have a partnership. We
work ­together to find ­solutions.”
Sven Sobik
Loctite® sales engineer
at work | Issue 5
22
| Handy Hints
Find your Structural
Bonding Solution in no time
Our new online tool helps you to quickly find the
right solution for your specific structural bonding
application at www.360bonding.com/uk
1. Select the substrates
that you would like to bond together.
2. Add product features
which you require for your application.
3. See the corresponding solutions
whose suitability is indicated by the icons.
4. Get all the information
click on the results, where you can compare the products at a
glance and read the detailed technical information.
at work | Issue 5
Outlook
3.8km swim, 180km bike ride, 42.2km run. Go beyond the limits.
Two-time Ironman world champion Chris McCormack r­ elies on
Henkel ­structural adhesives in his h
­ igh-end road bike.
Discover how our ­products e
­ nable ultimate bike p
­ erformance.
... coming soon
Experience how innovative ­joining ­solutions
can ease a disabled person’s life by
­establishing the world’s lightest folding
wheelchair.
at work | Issue 5
|
23
Imprint
Publisher
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Adhesive Technologies
Henkelstraße 67
40191 Düsseldorf
Germany
www.henkel.com
Editorial Department
Marketing Communications:
Caroline Sach
Jutta Haag
Andreas Engl
Contact
Jutta Haag
Phone: +49-211-797-7304
Jutta.Haag@henkel.com
Creation
blösch.partner
Werbeagentur GmbH
www.bloesch-partner.de
Henkel Limited
Wood Lane End
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire HP2 4RQ
Tel. 01442 278100
Fax 01442 278071
www.loctite.co.uk
www.loctitesolutions.com/uk
® designates a trademark of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA or its affiliates, registered in Germany and elsewhere © Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, 2011