ACA Sustainability Report 2022 - Report - Page 61
Improving the Community and the Climate
MEMBER STORY
Henkel’s Innovative Pretreatment Process Drives
Sustainability in Auto Industry
As a leading global provider of
adhesives, coatings and sealants,
Henkel invests in researching
and developing solutions that
will help its customers be more
sustainable through changes in
process, materials, and packaging.
As sustainability requirements
across the auto industry began
to take shape in the early 2000s,
Henkel began researching pretreatment alternatives that would
reduce reliance on heavy metal
phosphates. A zinc phosphate metal
pre-treatment process has been the
industry standard for many years,
however research led Henkel to a
zirconium oxide-based conversion
coating, which offers a more
sustainable alternative.
Henkel’s innovative process first
made its debut in 2007 on the Ford
F150 truck. Today, more than four
million vehicles are pretreated every
year with Henkel’s Next Generation
Metal Pre-treatment process. The
innovative process reduces the steps
required from seven in a conventional
metal pretreatment procedure
to four, significantly reducing the
automaker’s carbon footprint.
Environmental benefits also include:
• Elimination of heavy
•
•
metal phosphates
Up to a 90% reduction in sludge
generation
Up to a 50% reduction
in water usage
In 2021, the process earned Henkel
second place in the category of
sustainable process in the 2021
Altair Enlighten Awards*, the auto
industry’s recognition of gamechanging innovations in sustainability
and lightweighting.
Henkel’s pre-treatment process
supports the incorporation of more
aluminum and other lightweight
materials into vehicle design.
Sustainable solutions like this play a
key role in reducing the weight — or
“lightweighting” — of both gas-powered
and electric vehicles (EVs) and help the
auto industry address environmental
regulations around fuel efficiency and
emissions, while providing comfort and
safety for the driver.
59
Currently, electric vehicles are
roughly 30% heavier than traditional
gas-powered vehicles. This is largely
due to the weight of the battery,
which spans the length of the vehicle
body. The use of more lightweight
materials in EV manufacturing helps
to offset the weight of the battery
and increase driving range — a key
selling point for consumers.
Henkel is committed to driving
sustainability across industries
through new innovative products and
services. The company’s ambitious
goals include becoming climate
positive by 2040 and reducing
the environmental footprint of its
production facilities by 65% by 2025.
To learn more, visit www.henkelnorthamerica.com/brands-andbusinesses/adhesive-technologies.
*The Altair award specifically
recognizes Toyota’s use of the
Henkel process in production of the
2021 Tacoma and Tundra trucks
(under the name Pallumina as
trademarked by Nihon Parkerizing).