Jun 21 2007
Less than two years after introducing the automotive industry's first thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) corner moldings, Jyco Sealing Technologies has announced another major performance enhancement in this specialized area of weathersealing.
Introduced at the 2005 TPE Conference in Brussels, Jyco's trademarked JyBond technology was the first able to bond TPV foam extrusions for automotive glass run channel and body seals with joint strength that exceeded cohesive failure. It also logged superior results against EPDM in sound insertion loss testing. The slide force required was acceptable by OEM standards, but the molded corners' coefficient of friction was still greater than that of the low friction foam extrusions.
"Through enhancements in the formula and process, the next generation JyBond cuts the injection molded corners' COF in half," announced Shawn Jyawook, Jyco's chief operating officer. "The slide force is now nearly identical to that of the extrusions. This opens the door for new design possibilities, including larger corner moldings."
Compared to the EPDM compound that it is fast replacing in automotive sealing applications, TPV's low coefficient of friction eliminates the need for flocking or coating. The new generation of JyBond also exceeds OEM aesthetic requirements for color match and gloss level between the molded and extruded components, without EPDM's long-term blooming and bleaching issues.
Since its founding in 2000, Jyco has established itself as a world leader in TPV design, engineering and process technology for automotive, heavy truck and RV weathersealing applications. The company has operations in the Belgium, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico and the United States. Jyco's global headquarters is in Dexter, Michigan.