Henkel solutions for Industry 4.0 add strength and endurance to factory intelligence

The operational demands of more complex machine-to-machine communication ‏(M2M) systems, advanced robotics, and factory energy management networks require high-performance thermal control and electronic protection materials. Integrating system-enhancing materials helps reduce manufacturing downtime, lower cost and extend viable hardware life through improved reliability. Among Henkel’s proven products are:

• High-performance thermal interface materials ‏(TIMs) to optimize the function of higher power-density devices through efficient heat removal.
• Protective coatings, encapsulants, gaskets and sealants that defend electronic modules against operational stress and environmental influences such as moisture and dust.
• Bonding adhesives that hold components and housings firmly in place during perpetual production cycles.  

“The demonstrable quality and efficiency benefits of artificial intelligence ‏(AI) and machine learning within the smart factory are well-documented. I4.0’s successful evolution, however, requires innovations that can address the intersecting expectations of form, function, cost, efficiency, and reliability – all while digitized production systems incorporate higher-power devices to support big data and continuous operation,” says Henkel Director of Market Strategy for Power and Industrial Automation, Justin Kolbe. “We are partnered with the world’s leading developers of energy generation and power conversion systems, motors and drives, and controllers and sensors that make factories of the future possible.”

Recent examples of tangible results include:

• Bergquist BOND PLY TBP 1400LMS-HD thermally conductive adhesive was selected for a power supply that requires automated assembly, a thin alternative to mechanical fasteners, and robust heat dissipation. All objectives were achieved with a single material.
• A DC-DC converter leveraged Bergquist Gap Filler TGF 3500LVO liquid TIM to facilitate automated application, resulting in 20% production cost reduction, 15% output improvement and equivalent thermal management performance to the former material.
• Sonderhoff automated dispensing technology combined with Fermapor K31 formed-in-place-foam gasket (FIPFG) materials enabled a signification quality improvement and 30% cost reduction for sealing of a power distribution system housing.

Kolbe underscores the importance of Henkel’s ingenuity in the I4.0 space, acknowledging the central role of data control and analytics, while highlighting the absolute requirement for high-performing mechanical systems. “Motors, drives, controllers and robotics are the muscle executing on smart factory’s intelligence,” he says. “For true lights-out automation to transpire, bits and bytes must be supported by dependable, high-performance brawn. That’s what Henkel materials deliver.”

Learn more by visiting Henkel’s online resources.
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