Ford Proving Grounds (S.E. Michigan)   Ford has conducted what appear to be the 'ultimate' cold weather sealant adhesive tests. These tests were conducted with five different manufacturers' sealants, and Essex's two-part urethane was the only one to perform well enough at an extreme low temperature, to be endorsed by Ford for cold weather use. Essex announced the testing to the public May 13, 1997.

And although installing a windshield at zero degrees is not necessarily practical in the field, these tests could help evaluate their use in cold weather, and a get better understanding of a "safe drive-a-way time" which is of serious (and sometimes controversial) concern to the auto glass industry. With the advent of passenger side air bags (which mainly deploy off the windshield) it is even more critical for the glass to remain intact.

The short term test consisted of a 35 mph barrier impact test on a 1996 Taurus sedan one hour after installation. Each manufacturer was tested to their lowest stated temperature and extreme as published in their literature. In our case it was 1 hour at 0 degrees Fahrenheit utilizing our Cold Weather Procedure (section 10) of the Essex ARG Technical Installation guide. Betaseal U-216 met the Ford specification retaining 100% of the windshield.

By being the only manufacturer to pass the short term test we were asked to provide two year environmental test results as spelled out in the Ford specification. Consistent with our product development, we submitted samples in March 1995 to an independent laboratory in Miami, Florida. Testing performed in April, 1997 on these samples confirmed the long term durability of Betaseal U-216. All samples exceeded the minimum shear strength of 500 PSI specified by Ford.

We applaud Ford for answering the industry's request for independent testing of urethane adhesives. By stressing short term and long term bonding performance, Ford Motor Company has demonstrated the importance of testing to "real world" conditions. The auto glass technicians and respective shop owners benefit in knowing that Betaseal U-216 addresses the concern of 60 minute drive away as well as durability for many years to come. Most importantly, the vehicle occupants will benefit from properly functioning safety devices with know structural strength in the even of an accident.

A Betaseal U-216 FMVSS barrier crash test was conducted on a 1996 Ford Taurus by Ford Carlite on March 24, 1997 with the windshield installed only one hour earlier. The installation was conducted at 0 degrees F and crashed at a speed of 35 mph. Following the crash, the windshield maintained 100% retention as required by the Ford Motor Company.

Ford Carlite sponsored the barrier crash tests in support of the industry's continuing concerns about cold weather drive away and passenger air bag deployment. Five automotive aftermarket adhesive manufacturers agreed to participate. Each manufacturer selected their technician with instructions to follow their recommended cold weather procedure and were present to supervise. Ford Carlite acquired the manufacturers material from independent market sources. The barrier crash was run at the time when the manufacturer said it would pass according to their adhesive technical literature.

Following the Essex cold weather procedure outlined in Section 10 of the comprehensive Essex ARG Technical Installation Guide, Essex was the only manufacturer to pass stringent Ford requirements of 100% retention at 35 mph. The other four failed to meet Ford's requirements following  their own recommended procedures at higher temperatures or time.

Ford approves the use of U-216 by Essex ARG under these extreme  conditions to meet FMVSS 212 barrier crash with a one  hour drive away time with passenger side air bag. However, we suggest caution when installing in low temperature extremes.

Essex is proud to be The Technology Leader delivering products to meet OEM and FMVSS standards.

• Remove condensation from pinchweld and glass. If you cannot eliminate condensation or contaminants, complete the installation in a controlled environment. Condensation occurs only when the vehicle is move from cold to a warm area, not vice versa.
• Heat the primed areas gently with an industrial heat gun  to above 40 degrees F. Warmth allows solvents to flash and primer to cure.
• Make sure the Betaseal urethane adhesive is approximately 70 degrees F.
• Turn defroster ON and run for a minimum of 15 minutes.
• U-216 drive away time is 60 minutes with a passenger side air bag and 30 minutes without a passenger side air bag in weather down to 0 degrees F, following the Essex cold weather procedure.

Also see Glasslinks Interview with the Installer