Crash Testing
Watch crash test video.
Proving a Point the Hard Way
To support our claims that metal bonding adhesives by Fusor Automotive Repair Adhesives meet and exceed performance characteristics of welding and are the best adhesives available for the automotive aftermarket, we put them to the ultimate challenge: crash testing. And we’re proud to say Fusor metal bonding adhesives passed with honors.
In a series of crash tests conducted in March 1996 by an independent research company, three cars were tested against Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) #301, a critical test that measures the integrity of motor vehicle fuel systems. Each car was placed in a stationary position and then impacted from the rear by a moving barrier – a 4,000 pound sled with a flat frontplate – traveling at 30 mph. Prior to the tests, the rear driver-side quarter panel on two of the cars was removed and reinstalled, using welding for one vehicle and Fusor metal bonding adhesives for the other. The third car was left in original factory condition.
On all three cars, the fuel tank systems remained intact after impact, successfully meeting the requirements of FMVSS #301. This marked the first time an automobile having rear quarter and rear body panels replaced using an adhesive passed this critical safety test. It also established Fusor metal bonding adhesives as the first adhesives proven to be as strong as welding in dynamic crash testing.
In another independently conducted crash test completed in January 1997, an automobile repaired with Fusor Metal Bonding Adhesive successfully withstood FMVSS #208, which measures roof integrity.
For the crash test, the roof panel of a Nissan Sentra was removed, and a new panel was installed using Fusor metal bonding adhesives and the novel “roof skin bonding” technique developed by Fusor. The vehicle was mounted at a 23-degree angle on a roll-over cart, with the passenger side toward the ground. Then, the cart and vehicle were towed down the test track at 32.4 mph until the cart struck a set of decelerator shock absorbers.
After contacting the shock absorbers, the car was catapulted laterally, landing on its right wheels. The vehicle rolled once, slid on its roof, then came to rest on its wheels.
Results prove that roofs repaired with Fusor metal bonding adhesives maintain their integrity during crash conditions. The test also confirms the effectiveness of the roof skin bonding technique.
Sometimes you have to prove yourself. We think Fusor Automotive Repair Adhesives have – the hard way.