Why You Don’t Need a Conductive Primer for Heavy Duty Trucks

Bostik’s conductive seam sealant eliminates the need for conductive primers in heavy duty truck manufacturing. Learn how VSR 400A reduces costs with simplified processes while maintaining performance and enhancing sustainability.

In heavy duty truck manufacturing, applying a conductive primer to sheet molding compounds (SMCs) such as hoods is considered standard practice before painting non-conductive materials.

However, you may not be aware that you don’t need the primer.

Instead, you can use a conductive seam sealant, which builds conductivity directly into the seam sealer, thereby removing the need for a primer.

Learn how this alternative option can help you decrease complexity and cost while also meeting performance needs and enhancing sustainability.

How Conductive Primers Can Impact Overall Costs

While conductive primers provide static dissipation for electrostatic painting processes, they can impact production in the following ways:

The primers need time to cure before the next step in the process can take place.
They can increase error likelihood and associated downtime, energy and material usage to fix if the primer is applied incorrectly.
The primers are an additional SKU to consider, know how to use and keep stocked in your inventory.
They also require specific equipment or spray systems to help ensure proper application coverage and adhesion.

Each of these items can add complexity to your production and increase cost.

Introducing A Conductive Seam Sealant

How A Conductive Seam Sealant Can Reduce Process Complexity and Cost

A conductive seam sealant has conductivity inherently in the formulation, which means you no longer need a conductive primer. By using a conductive seam sealant, you can:

Decrease production time: With a conductive seam sealant, you can reach a finished product in a shorter amount of time, because there is less curing or drying time to factor into your processing steps compared to using a primer.
Minimize downtime, material and energy usage: By not needing to apply a primer, there can be fewer chances for rework overall and therefore less downtime, material and energy usage as a result.
Reduce SKUs: Since you don’t need a primer, you can reduce the number of SKUs that you need to source, use, store and track; this simplifies purchasing complexities, product training and inventory management.
Utilize existing equipment: You can remove any primer equipment from your plant and instead just use your existing seam sealing equipment. This helps keep investment and training costs to a minimum.

Additional Advantages To Using A Conductive Seam Sealant

Same Performance, Less Steps

Like a conductive primer, a conductive seam sealant is also statically charged. This allows you to manufacture an end-use product that can yield the performance that a primer provides for electrostatic painting while also eliminating a step in the overall process. The electrical conductivity in the seam sealant provides consistent static dissipation at the joints to support electrostatic painting processes. This helps ensure that conductivity is maintained exactly where it’s required, helping to deliver a high-quality, uniform paint finish the first time.

Ease of Use

A conductive seam sealant is engineered specifically for heavy duty truck applications. In addition to possessing the strength needed in this market, it is designed to be easy to handle and highly toolable when applied via an air or electric sealant applicator. This allows it to offer excellent workability and smooth application across SMC surfaces. Its consistent performance also helps ensure uniform coverage for enhanced paint adhesion and long-term durability.

How Bostik’s Conductive Seam Sealant Can Help You

Even if you aren’t actively looking to change your current process, chances are you’re looking to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. As the adhesives solution segment of Arkema, we are dedicated to developing innovative solutions that can improve your manufacturing processes while maintaining performance and improving sustainability.

Bostik’s VSR 400A, which combines silyl modified polymer technology with electrical conductivity, provides an opportunity to achieve this without compromising performance. This solution provides:

Electrical conductivity while maintaining high strength and easy handling
Robust processing with reduced number of preparation steps
Isocyanate and solvent free to reduce VOC emissions as well as increase overall facility and worker safety

Further, VSR 400A offers strength that allows it to be used as a bonding adhesive, if desired.

Additionally, when you choose Bostik, our experts will work directly with you, providing comprehensive, dedicated support to help ensure your needs are met. This includes testing your materials and helping you get started with VSR 400A on your production lines. We also offer support with product training and using dispensing equipment properly.

Are you ready to reduce costs with your heavy duty truck manufacturing? Contact a Bostik expert to learn how a conductive seam sealant can reduce costs while maintaining key performance needs and enhancing overall sustainability.

All information contained herein is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication, is provided “as-is” and is subject to change without notice. To review our full U.S. Legal Disclaimer, visit: https://bostik.com/us/en_US/legal-disclaimer