Windscreen Safety: Adhesives Tested Above and Beyond The Norm

Above all their features and benefits, it is the safety credentials of the new TEROSON® BOND windscreen adhesives that really make them stand out from the crowd. 

These rejuvenated and enhanced polyurethane adhesives don’t just conform to the industry performance standard for vehicle repair, FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 212/208.  Key products in this range are also subjected to Henkel’s own crash test which mimics how windscreen retention standards have evolved for new cars. 

Informed by current expectations

How we drive, the increasing number of vehicles on the road and the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) fitted as standard to a new car, create a whole new set of metrics for performance testing. 

The standard method for certification of safe drive away time (SDAT) for windscreen adhesives is FMVSS 212/208.   This involves the test vehicle being driven at a solid concrete block at 30 mph (48 km/h), resulting in a 100 percent frontal impact. 

The new Henkel Crash Test Standard assesses performance at the next level. In line with the characteristics of the most common – and often the more serious – urban crash scenario, Henkel tests and analyses the performance of its windscreen adhesives on vehicles travelling at 40 mph (64 km/h), with an offset rate of just 40 percent, against a deformable barrier.

This is called a front offset crash and the torsional stress put on the vehicle body in this test, by comparison with conventional testing, is far higher, pushing the safety standard beyond the status quo.

The effectiveness of a windscreen bond is particularly important in front collisions as it can improve the torsional stiffness of the vehicle by up to 40 percent and provide impact resistance to protect passengers and safeguard efficient airbag opening. 

In conjunction with FMVSS 212/208, the Henkel Crash Test provides vehicle repair and maintenance bodyshops, glass fitters, aftermarket product distributors and vehicle owners, with an extra layer of confidence. 

Although this test has been conducted on selected TEROSON windscreen adhesives since 2018, it is now applied to most products in the enhanced TEROSON BOND range.  Two of the seven adhesives are formulated specifically for the glass fitting market and include TEROSON BOND 30 PROFESSIONAL, the new name for TEROSON PU 8730 HMLC. 

This product, with a SDAT of 30 minutes, was one of the first to undergo the Henkel Crash Test Standard in 2018; see it in action at TEROSON Car Crash Test - LIVE! - YouTube

The remaining five products, including the new TEROSON BOND 120, are dedicated to the needs of the independent aftermarket.  Collectively they provide SDATs from 15 minutes to 2 hours, ensuring the right adhesive is available for every job.