LINTEC has been a leader in pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes and films since 1934 and has since grown into a global corporation with local bases in 19 countries and regions. While a company of this size (with over 4,700 employees) certainly extends its product portfolio into numerous industries and applications, every division continually seeks opportunities to expand their offerings.
LINTEC of America already offers many automotive-use adhesive products—paint replacement films, protection films, anti-vibration tapes, plaster harness tapes, and more—but the horizon for further advancements in adhesives for automobiles is nearly limitless. Smithers Apex projects a CAGR of 8-9% in the automotive adhesive market, which it forecasts will grow from $4 billion in 2016 to $6 billion by 2022.
R&D Opportunities with LINTEC Automotive
Our automotive research and development team at LINTEC is always hard at work developing innovative new solutions for modern automotive design specs. More tapes and films are incorporated into cars every year to assist in pursuits such as lightweighting, vehicle rigidity, shock absorption, sealing, and structural bonding.
Recent advancements in pressure-sensitive ionomers, for example, have allowed for cushioning films that absorb the continual impacts and environmental stresses on car doors and hatches at significantly better cost performance compared to older urethane films. Paint replacement films have fast replaced traditional automotive paints as an industry standard on door sashes and side glass frames.
If you’re as curious about the potential for automotive films as we are—or have creative ideas of your own—we would be eager to talk with you and investigate how our products could be incorporated into a solution for your design problem. Our RFQ process is collaborative; we’re open to putting our team to work on any R&D opportunities to use our films in a valuable new product line.
How We Approach a Request For Quote
When a business comes to us with a description of a part, its size, and the specs required (material, thickness, properties, annual usage), we immediately go to work on determining the most effective adhesive materials to suggest from our extensive library.
It’s possible that either your needs, or the idea that you have for a new adhesive application, are so unique that even a company with an expansive catalog doesn’t yet stock a fully compatible product. In these cases, we would refer your thoughts to R&D and work towards a quote on a custom product that fits your design.
Here’s what our RFQ process for R&D Opportunities would look like, step-by-step:
- You reach out to LINTEC Auto with a particularly unique application or distinct idea for an automotive film.
- We work together with you to gather all of the possible information about the spec that is required, conditions the adhesive will need to operate under, and the substrates/parts involved.
- LINTEC holds an internal discussion that guides us towards a shortlist of custom-catered material options we will recommend to fit your needs and price point.
- These options are submitted to you for feedback and consideration. At this point, you will weigh the anticipated costs and features of each choice to iron out a preference.
- We continue to exchange ideas and questions until our two teams have arrived at an understanding of the best option and the resources required for R&D on its design.
- An official quote is composed of all the details of the spec, quantity, cost, and other terms determined through our collaborative discussion. It is submitted for your approval. Once approved...
- We get to work!
Reach Out to LINTEC Automotive Today!
Come to us with your ideas, your questions, and your design problems, and we’ll be happy to consult with you on R&D opportunities for an automotive adhesive solution. Once we’ve got the details, we’ll take a look into the ways our products can offer you what you need at a price point that makes sense.
