Featured Products
What's new and what's cool at 3M Automotive OEM.
New Technology Enables Evenly Illuminated Tail Lamps
The 3M™ Uniform Lighting Lens uses new-to-the-world optical technology to enhance LED-illuminated tail lamps on vehicles. Its precision-engineered, micro-patterned polycarbonate lens provides even illumination. This "thermoformable" polycarbonate is extremely durable but also allows the creation of modern lighting in custom shapes.
In addition to increasing design flexibility and uniformity in light output, manufacturers using the 3M uniform lighting lens in their tail lamps benefit from improved energy efficiency with fewer LEDs; a lighter-weight, less-complex lamp; and reduced prototype design cycle time. The technology was announced at the Transportation Summit in Livonia, MI, in October; and its first commercial vehicle application can be seen in the 2013 Buick Enclave.
Read the press release announcing the launch of 3M Uniform Lighting Lens here. (PDF, 25 Kb)
3M and Esys Named PACE Award Winners
3M and Esys Automation were named 2012 Automotive News' PACE Award winners for their joint submission of the automated precision wheel balance system AutoW8T™, which installs 3M™ Wheel Weights. The Automotive News' PACE Awards, which honor superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers, were presented on April 23 at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit. The awards, now in their eighteenth year, are recognized around the world as the industry benchmark for innovation.
AutoW8t is Esys Automation's patent-pending technology for dispensing, cutting and robotic application of 3M's new adhesive, lead-free wheel weight product. Together, the two companies helped initiate a leap forward in tire and wheel assembly technology, dramatically improving the speed, quality and cost of the OEM high-speed tire balancing processes. This innovation has made wheel balancing easier and faster than ever, while reducing inventory and freeing up valuable manufacturing floor space.
Read the full 3M and Esys Named PACE Award Winners press release here. (PDF, 72 Kb)
Introducing 3M™ Wheel Weights for larger wheels
New! 3M™ Wheel Weight TN4029 is made of a flexible and conformable material that is attached to the wheel using industry-leading 3M™ Automotive Attachment Tape technology. The results are an all-in-one, cut-to-fit precision wheel weight for balancing larger wheels that has less impact on the environment than lead wheel weights.
3M Wheel Weight TN4029 is available in levelwound rolls for easier processing with automated equipment in assembly plants or wheel processing centers. The material is cut to the exact weight required for each wheel, reducing the residual imbalance in the wheel assembly, the number of balance rejects and your inventory. Call your 3M representative for more information, or click on "Contact 3M Automotive" above right.
Growth Market Car Unveiled at CES
Visteon Corporation and 3M introduced a new technology demonstration vehicle targeted at consumers in global growth markets such as Asia, Eastern Europe and South America.
Technologies demonstrated on this vehicle include an array of 3M automotive solutions, including new light management technologies and unique trim films for interior applications. In addition, Visteon innovations were featured in electronics, lighting, interiors and climate.
Check out the microsite, which contains an exciting video about the vehicle, images, tech data sheets and other information about the car.
3M™ Wheel Weights are made of a flexible and conformable material that is attached to the wheel using industry-leading 3M™ Automotive Attachment Tape. The results are an all-in-one, cut-to-fit precision wheel balancing system that is lead free for less environmental impact. 3M Wheel Weights are available in three profiles to fit your wheel balancing needs:
3M™ Wheel Weights are made of a flexible and conformable material that is attached to the wheel using industry-leading 3M™ Automotive Attachment Tape. The results are an all-in-one, cut-to-fit precision wheel balancing system that is lead free for less environmental impact. 3M Wheel Weights are available in three profiles to fit your wheel balancing needs:
- New! 3M™ Wheel Weight TN4029 -- for larger wheels
- 3M™ Mechanical Replacement Wheel Weights TN4014 – for replacing traditional clip-on weights
- 3M™ Wheel Weight TN4715 – for high profile applications
- 3M™ Wheel Weight TN4023 - for low profile applications
3M™ Pressure Sensitive Acrylic Plus Tape Series EX4000 represents the latest advancement in exterior attachment tapes. Utilizing advanced technology, these tapes are designed to adhere to a wide variety of paint systems, including low surface energy materials and improved scratch- and mar-resistant paints.
Thinsulate™ Acoustic Insulation possesses exceptional sound absorption qualities to help reduce noise in vehicles from passenger cars to commercial trucks. Thinsulate Acoustic Insulations are compressible, conformable, lightweight, hydrophobic and cost effective. They are ideally suited for vehicle door panels, headliners, wheel wells, instrument panels and other applications where there is a desire to improve the sound quality.
