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Alcoa receives R&D 100 Award for automotive bonding technology

Alcoa, New York, has received an R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine in recognition of its Alcoa 951, an enabler for adhesive bonding of aluminum-intensive vehicles (AIVs). The award honors the top 100 technology innovations introduced in the past year across industry, academia, and government-sponsored research.

As automakers use aluminum body structures to improve fuel efficiency and performance, new joining and assembly methods are required. The patented pretreatment bonding technology is up to nine times more durable than competitive products, according to the company. It uses organic, environmentally friendly materials, and the ultra-thin profile of the treatment readily accepts spot welds and rivets.

Today Alcoa’s plant in Davenport, Iowa, has an automotive treatment line that applies the enabler to the aluminum sheet before it is shipped to customers. The technology, co-invented by Alcoa scientists Sherri McCleary and Jim Marinelli, has been licensed to Chemetall in an exclusive global distribution agreement.