Changing of process. Adhesive curing stage

[camfromvan]

I work for an automotive company that is currently experiencing problems with deformity due to the adhesive curing process.
The oven temperatures that cure the adhesive are simultaneously deforming the shape of the hood, specifically.
The issue with this is that this deformity is creating fitting issues at the end of line when the doors are fit to the finished body.
Alternative, and potentially more viable solutions have been devised, and these solutions are being pursued, but the company also wants to look into whether a pre-curing process would be viable.
I'm hoping to determine what kinds of options there are available for such a process, and what kind of timeline and cost we would be looking at, if we chose to pursue that route.
Now.. I'm an intern who has been working in the automotive industry for about 4 months, so I don't really know where I would go to source potential solutions to this problem.
I'm not asking for anybody to answer the question, but rather, to just point me in some directions where I could start researching.
Any help you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

 

[GregLocock]

Well I wonder, Tesla, Apple or Google? Pick up the phone and talk to 3M. They are quite simply the best at sticky stuff.



Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[BrianPetersen]

Or talk to whoever the supplier of your sealant is. They may have an alternative material or suggest an alternative curing process.

I take it that you have checked dimensional fit prior to the parts being assembled, and prior to the curing process.

Even heating should not deform the parts. Uneven heating could. Possible causes:
- Uneven heating ... If you are curing in an oven, is the air circulation uneven or inadequate? If it is using radiant heating, is that uneven - or too close to the workpiece?
- Attempting to heat or cool the parts too quickly (areas with thicker sections will heat and cool slower)
- Securing the parts to a fixture that is sucking heat out of the part, leading to uneven heating. Insulate your touch points. Minimize the surface area of your touch points. Make sure your fixture doesn't block heat (whether radiant or air circulation) from getting to the part.

Any issues with parts warpage in service? If it's warping due to uneven heating in your curing oven, it could warp in service if the car is parked half in the sun and half out ... or with heat coming from the engine underneath. Is the inner (structural) part of the hood of adequate stiffness?

Is your hemming machine adequately securing the outer skin to the inner structure all the way around?

 

[dicer]

I would make a guess that if a car body is heated too much more that a dark colored car sitting in the sun in the middle of summer time, to cure any chemical would cause warpage / distortion of sheet metal that has be cold formed. The process of heating causes stress relief, so what do you expect? This is one of the reasons I don't understand the fascination with powder coating. I would like to see what a good materials guy has to say about this topic.