• What’s New
  • Webinar Recording: “New Selective Adhesion LSRs Enable More Efficient Fabrication of Automotive Seals”

Webinar Recording: “New Selective Adhesion LSRs Enable More Efficient Fabrication of Automotive Seals”

April 27, 2023

RDAbbott recently hosted a webinar titled “New Selective Adhesion LSRs Enable More Efficient Fabrication of Automotive Seals.” This 1-hour presentation, about new selective adhesion liquid silicone rubber (LSR) from Dow, was livestreamed on April 27, 2023. It is part of RDAbbott’s 2023 Webinar Series, which provides technical insights, material updates, and processing recommendations from our supplier partners.

Why You Should Watch and Listen

The mobility industry is rapidly transforming, driven by the accelerating adoption rate of electric vehicles and the need for more sustainable material science solutions. Dow is committed to innovation that meets the evolving needs of the mobility market.

In this webinar recording, Craig Gross, a Senior Technical Service & Development Scientist for Dow Consumer Solutions, and Gifford Shearer, the Marketing Director for Dow Consumer Solutions, introduce a new series of selective adhesion LSR that is targeted to improve efficiency in designing and fabricating various automotive seals. The new SILASTIC™ SA 994X LSR series is a portfolio of products with 30 to 50 shore A hardness, available in self-lubricated and standard forms, providing robust primerless adhesion to common engineering plastics used in automotive applications.

As compared to competitive products, the key benefits of these new LSRs are:

  • Unchanged and consistent adhesion performance throughout an extended shelf life of 12 months
  • Robust and instant adhesion to filled and unfilled PA6, PA66, and PBT plastics
  • Elimination of secondary heat treatments that typically are required to achieve the full adhesion strength

Adhesion properties and potential use of these novel LSRs in powertrain electrification and autonomous vehicle components will be shared. In these applications, the selective adhesion LSR enables automated manufacturing and integration of sealing into the plastic part, eliminating additional assembly steps.

About the Presenters

Gifford Shearer, Marketing Director for Dow Consumer Solutions, is responsible for Dow’s growth strategies in mobility, consumer, and electronics markets in North America.

Gifford joined Dow Corning in 2000 and worked on the technical development of novel silicone thermoplastic hybrids. In 2003 he joined the newly acquired Multibase company where he held a number of technical, business, and leadership roles over 12 years including Business President and CEO for their North America operations. In 2015, Gifford returned to Dow Corning in the role of Market Manager for Industrial Assembly and Maintenance. Upon Dow Corning’s acquisition by Dow, Gifford became responsible for all silicone elastomer markets, including automotive, industrial, electrical, and consumer. Most recently, Gifford has served as the Mobility Market Leader in North America, creating and executing a growth strategy across multiple market segments including vehicle electrification and lighting.

Gifford received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, both from the University of Waterloo in Canada. He currently resides in Midland, Michigan.

Craig Gross is a member of Dow’s North America Consumer Solutions Technical Service and Development (TS&D) organization which provides technical support, application and product expertise for silicone elastomers used in the Transportation, Industrial, and Consumer markets.

Craig received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Plastics Engineering from Ferris State University in 1993, starting his career in the plastics industry before he joined Dow (formerly Dow Corning) in 1996. Upon joining Dow, Craig provided process engineering and product development expertise for the Silicone Modified Organics Business. In 2006, he became a member of the silicone elastomers TS&D team providing technical support for liquid silicone rubber and high consistency rubbers. He was the North America TS&D Manager from 2009 to 2014 and became TS&D Scientist for the group in 2015 and Senior TS&D Scientist in 2018. Because of his previous experiences within the plastics industry and while at Dow, he has developed knowledge and expertise in a wide range of materials and fabrication processes used in both the plastics and rubber industries.

In his current role, Craig leads a variety of initiatives focused on delivering innovative silicone elastomer solutions to customers, mentoring team members, and consulting on numerous projects. He has five patents granted and has presented at numerous conferences and trade shows.

If you’re interested in learning more about LSRs and other high quality silicone materials from Dow, contact us.
To learn more about the other webinars in RDAbbott’s 2023 Webinar Series, visit RDAbbott.com/news/2023webinars.
Categories
Tags