The number of fixing systems incorporating innovative adhesive techniques has rapidly grown in the past few years, especially in the automotive industry. The reason: the characteristics of adhesive tape allow it to be used in many different applications.

Enter automotive electrics. Convenience and safety systems not only include electronics, but an array of sensors and actuators as well. The amount of wiring involved here is substantial. To make things even more complex, a large number of different cable types is used, including round cable, specialty cable (eg optical fibre), and shrouded cable, with flat cable finding more applications all the time.

From a system cost perspective, it is beneficial to use a fixing system to install all cable types for an installation module. Module components (eg headliner) are especially challenging, as their characteristics can vary to a great extent.

All of these requirements have been incorporated into the company’s patented Duplocoll CF (cable fixing) line of adhesive tapes.

The Duplocoll CF line comprises three separate products that, together, accelerate manufacturing processes and reduce cycle times and production costs.

Duplocoll CF one-sided, non-woven adhesive tape can be used not only to mount, or fix, flat and round cables; it can also protect them. The advantages of this solution as compared to mechanical fixing elements

and even other adhesive tapes are quite apparent. The low-emissions adhesive gives the flexible tape the ability to adhere to a wide variety of surfaces and enables the installer to easily work with different headliner geometries. Fast processing times allow module suppliers to optimally integrate the product into the production process. Duplocoll CF provides reliable adhering force, can be used in many applications, protects, and acts as a noise insulator (rattle protection).

Duplocoll CF also offers additional application possibilities. For example, the double-sided version of the tape can be used to preassemble cable harnesses. Here, the tape is dispensed via a Lohmann tape dispenser and cut to length, whereby the release liner is automatically removed.

The cable can now be placed on the exposed adhesive and the overlapping tape surface folded over. Cable branches can be covered and adhered as well if the tape is folded over on one side only. Now, all that must be done at the point of assembly is to press on the new

self-adhering cable.

Double folding is also possible. The ‘duo folding method’ is especially well-suited to applications where several cables must be permanently fixed to a surface using tape. This method also ensures that no open adhesive surfaces protrude, a great advantage when transporting and storing self-adhering preassembled cable systems.

Lohmann CF technology has developed a way to

self-adhere and protectively cover cables in one step. Self-adhesive cables can also be optionally manufactured before reaching the production line in order to

avoid applying extra adhesive during the production process.

Additionally, the adhesive surface can be selected independently of the component’s geometry. Regardless of the adhesive challenge at hand, the Duplocoll CF system keeps vehicle wiring systems in place.

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Christina Barg-Becker is with Lohmann GmbH & Co KG, Neuwied, Germany. www.lohmann-tapes.com