OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIC ASPECTS

The objectives and deliverables for the 3 year programme are:

Technical Needs:

Increase confidence in long term durability to increase the uptake of key enabling technology.

An accelerated durability test to assess expected life in automotive structures

A standard method - accepted and used by automobile constructors and suppliers

Technical Approach:

Establish a new environmental durability test applicable to bonded joints

Investigate factors in current cycles (temperature, humidity, salt mist) and develop into a standard test method

 

Main Deliverables:

A test method that allows the durability of adhesive bonds (systems) in automobile applications to be identified

The method will be ready for standardisation, with and its robustness tested and precision data generated

This report contains deliverables detailed within work packages WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5 and WP8, as listed in Annex I “Description of Work”. WP6 and WP7 have no deliverables due in this reporting period. Some deliverables have been rescheduled earlier or later as discussed in this report.

Additional tasks have been performed within work package WP2 and work in other work packages has been accelerated. Multi-media instruction/training documents covering the manufacturing and testing procedures were produced for WP4, to ensure all project participants follow common, established standard practices. An inter-laboratory repeatability programme has also been started early, whereby the manufacture and testing competencies of each participant is measured. The objective of this programme is to establish confidence that all participants can manufacture and test samples and obtain the same results prior to the parameter study investigation in WP2.