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  4. Improving automotive, one strip at a time.
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    Improving automotive, one strip at a time.

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    Improving automotive, one strip at a time. Image

    • Customers and regulators are making more complex demands on automotive manufacturers every year, from emissions standards to comfort to fuel efficiency. 3M scientists help manufacturers make stronger, lighter, more comfortable cars through a product type we've been redefining for decades—tape.

      Our acrylic tapes have more than a few advantages over traditional mechanical fasteners like screws and welds. You can effectively connect very different materials like metal and plastic, thanks to the science of our adhesives. The chemical bond our tapes produce spreads the load across the entire length of the joint, rather than creating single points of stress and potential failure.

      These tapes are also lighter, allowing you to replace heavy metal fasteners and decrease the weight of your designs without giving up structural integrity. And because they attach to your materials as they are, there's no need to consider unsightly, and structure-weakening screw holes—and there won't be any parts to come loose over time to rattle around.

      Next time you're faced with a bonding challenge, from adhering components to affixing layers of electronics, consider these unassuming—but always powerful—tapes.