Abstract—In modern societies there is an increasing concern regarding the environmental impact of automotives. This and additional strict legislation in vehicle production are driving automotive manufacturers to develop lighter and, thus, less fuel consuming vehicles. This goal is further related to quality issues in current production lines and in the final product itself, especially when safety issues are concerned. Customers’ protection during crash is a major demand which motivates automotive manufacturers to improve production processes which can satisfy the highly demanding market. Simultaneously, the introduction of new manufacturing techniques is strongly correlated with additional costs, which should be analyzed and quantified, in order to prove the sustainability of such processes for automotive production. This paper considers adhesive bonding for joining attachments (i.e. roof, hood, windshield components) on painted automotive shell surfaces as a potential technique in volume production. Production issues pertinent to the automotive industry are discussed in conjunction with a consideration of the physical properties of the adhesive joints studied. In order to introduce such type of adhesive joining process in current production lines, different process chain scenarios are proposed depending on the paint type in order to achieve the required strength of connection, especially during crash loads. Production costs are gathered and a proposed cost analysis is presented and explained for evaluating the suggested process chain scenarios in order to identify cost intensive procedures. Index Terms— adhesive bonding, automotive body-in-white, cost analysis, painting process, production line I. BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION he principle adoption of functionally integrated components and modules in automobile construction, without which light automobile construction today would be greatly limited, is necessary in the completion of the exterior of automotive body shells [1], [2]. The most appropriate Manuscript received March 3, 2012; revised April 4, 2012. This work was supported the Research Promotion Foundation (RPF), PO BOX 23422, CY-1683 Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus. L. Papadakis is with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus (phone: +35722345159 ext. 115; fax: +3572243823; e-mail: l.papadakis@frederick.ac.cy). V. Vassiliou is with the Frederick Research Center (FRC) (e-mail: eng.vv@frederick.ac.cy). M. Menicou is with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Frederick University (e-mail: m.menicou@frederick.ac.cy). M. Schiel is with the Institute for Joining and Welding (ifs), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany (e-mail: m.schiel@tu-bs.de) K. Dilger is with the Institute for Joining and Welding (ifs), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany (e-mail: k.dilger@tu-bs.de) way to attach components and modules to painted car shells is through an appropriate low-temperature joining process with a similar finishing paint as the auto body. An assembly of the external components before the application of a finishing paint is, in the majority of cases, not possible because the affiliated oven-curing process cannot be withstood by the components and inhibits the functional integration of the painting process [3]. As a result of exacting specifications for the above application area, the best suitable joining technology is adhesive bonding. The industry standard adhesive bonding on finish painted surfaces nowadays provides the required strength only partially with respect to automobile structure strength and crash safety. An exception is the bonded wind screen of some automobiles. Here extensive test to prove the structural characteristics of the bonded parts with used colours have to be carried out. In order to find solutions to this problem, it is relevant to know the properties of the finish paint from its composition, which depends on the specific compounds and the “process history” of the paint. It is known that through various oven-times and temperature settings, the paint can fluctuate in adhesive strength from “structural rigidity” to “not-adhesive”, but these properties can only be measurable retroactively [4]. Additionally, an important issue which impacts the adhesive joint is the strength of the paint itself depending on its compositions, i.e. metallic or non-metallic. A measurement technique for the adhesive bond system, and consequently for the adoption of functionally integrated components and essential paint characteristics, is not currently available. Furthermore, the interrelationship between process history and composition of the paint and its adhesive capability were only lately able to be understood [5]. The goal of this paper is to provide an understanding of how the total adhesive bond system including substrates, electro-coating, primer, paint layers and 2-component polyurethane adhesive (2C-PU) influences the adhesive strength on attachments. A deeper look into how accessories can be attached with an adhesive agent so as to provide the necessary joint strength and crash safety will also be undertaken. Furthermore, the results provided from this study will enable the discovery of optimized high-demand bonds. Finally, in order to introduce such type of adhesive joining process in current production lines, different process chain scenarios are proposed depending on the paint type in Adhesive Bonding on Painted Car Bodies in Automotive Production Lines: Alternatives and Cost Analysis Loucas Papadakis, Vassos Vassiliou, Michalis Menicou, Manuel Schiel, Klaus Dilger T Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2012 Vol III WCE 2012, July 4 - 6, 2012, London, U.K. ISBN: 978-988-19252-2-0 ISSN: 2078-0958 (Print); ISSN: 2078-0966 (Online) WCE 2012