DELO has developed a new transparent active alignment adhesive

     DELO has developed a new transparent active alignment adhesive. DELO PHOTOBOND OB4210 is characterized by stable yellowing at high temperatures and is extremely resistant to temperature and media. Automotive headlight manufacturers can use it to implement complex optical applications.

     The transparent nature of light curing adhesives makes them indistinguishable from lens materials. Its yellow resistance is higher than that of similar products, and it remains transparent after 500 hours of storage at +140 ° C. This is important for bonding increasingly powerful LED modules, which generate more heat. Acrylic adhesives work with a variety of materials in the headlamp to have a stress equalization effect and a wide range of elasticity. Due to its near-instantaneous UV curing, it is suitable for high-end applications such as active alignment of lens systems and optical systems in matrix led, MLA or DLP headlamp systems.

     The adhesive has an application temperature range of -40 ° C to +140 ° C and has a high compressive shear strength of 35MPa on polycarbonate, a common optical material in automotive lighting. Its low viscosity of 3,000mPa-s, followed by good fluidity, is also conducive to application on larger surfaces. At high UV intensity, the exposure time required to cure the adhesive can be reduced to 1.5 seconds, providing the process advantage of higher cycle times in production.

     The DELO PHOTOBOND OB4210 addresses two major challenges facing headlight manufacturers - miniaturization and enhanced functionality - as headlights are getting thinner while becoming more powerful in terms of lighting around the vehicle. Traditional headlamp bonding processes such as screw joining have reached their limits and there is a growing demand for adhesive solutions. However, to bond optical elements and lenses, they must meet strict requirements. They should be stress compensated and have low exhaust, withstand high temperatures and environmental impacts, and remain highly transparent.

     With DELO PHOTOBOND OB4210, we are expanding our portfolio of temperature and moisture resistant adhesives for the automotive lighting industry, using a very yellow resistant product that delivers high strength. These characteristics are essential for optically demanding applications and are therefore ideal for modern headlight designs, "says Christoph Appel, automotive product Manager at DELO LED.