Sika, a reputed global supplier of specialty chemicals, offers an extensive range of solutions for the automotive aftermarket segment. Sika India Pvt. Ltd., the Indian arm of the Swiss multinational, provides exhaustive and unique, India-focused solutions for windshield bonding, seam sealing, protective coatings, plastic repair and panel bonding, among others. The company made its second participation in ACMA Automechanika, the country’s most vibrant trade fair for the automotive aftermarket, evoking very good response for its range of interesting offerings.
In the words of Mr. Amit Asija, National Business Development Head (Automotive Aftermarket), Sika India Pvt. Ltd.: “This great response is due to the distinctive edge our products have over those of the competition. After all, we deliver our customers solutions that are easy to use and guarantee faster turnaround time than other brands available in the market today.”
Sika India’s automotive aftermarket product line
For windshield bonding, Sika India offers two kinds of adhesives – one is the Sika Titan solo primerless windscreen adhesive which is very easy-to-use without any pre-treatment, and the other is the SikaTack GO which goes along with a primer. SikaTack GO has a safe drive away time of 30 minutes without airbags and 2 hours with double-sided airbags. This is among the very few adhesives with proven crash-tested certifications available in the market today.
While primers are generally sold in bottles with a separate brush for application, Sika products come in a tube with a head for direct application, making them a lot easier to use when compared to the conventional products sold in the market.
For seam sealing, Sika India has taken a different approach by providing a range of superior products that promise a hassle-free experience for the users. Moreover, there is a vast range of Sika sealants available as well. Their Sika flex auto tape is the most innovative and unique product for hem flange area application on new body parts like doors and bonnets where aesthetic look is very important, Sika flex auto tape is the only product available till date in India which replenishes 100% OEM-like finish without any effort and reworking hassles.
For plastic repair, Sika offers the SikaPower 2950 that is typically suited for broken bumpers and the SikaPower 2955 for fixing head light mounting clamps and tail lamps’ brackets, among others. In view of the fact that insurance companies today seek cost-effective and reliable solutions for repair than replacement to minimize their costs, these Sika solutions have assumed greater importance.
Another Sika solution is the SikaPower 4720, a high-strength panel adhesive. When using it, you can rely on Sika’s expertise and knowledge as an OEM supplier. A large number of vehicle manufacturers rely on the Sika technology for structural bonding on the production line. It is suitable for panel bonding with exposure to high dynamic stress areas.
This structural adhesive can be easily spot-welded through when wet. It is specifically designed for metal and composite panel bonding such as door skins, rear body panel, roof skins, quarter panel and structural parts only in combination with spot welds and rivets.
Sika is trying to lead the ongoing shift from a “hot” (welding) to a “cold” (bonding/riveting) repair process in body shops that promotes less masking and (dis)assembling work of interior and fuel part systems due to no spark formation, while there is also no deformation of assembly parts due to high temperatures.
While Sika’s main focus is on the multi-brand segment, it also has its strong presence in the auto glass replacement channel where it caters to major players serving more than 200 windshield fitment centers across the country. The most predominantly used products are Sika Titan Solo and SikaTack GO for all their customers’ vehicle windshield replacement jobs. They also have specialty products for rear view mirror button bonding – SikaFast 1640 for metal buttons and SikaPower 2955 for plastic buttons with sensor gels.
Sika has a range of protective coatings – Sikagard 6470 (anti-stone chip), Sikagard 6620 (water-based anti stone chip) and Sikagard 6220 (cavity wax). To protect vehicles against rust in the long term, inspecting the underbody is essential. Sikagard Double Protection with Sikagard Cavity and underbody anti-stone chip safeguard your vehicle from the inside out and equip you with the ultimate rust protection system. Sikagard products which are engineered in Switzerland exceed vehicle manufacturers’ standards.
Sika also has products like SikaDamp – 610 which are used in the aftermarket when vehicles are repaired and by car tuning shops. In particular car tuning shops can have high consumption. SikaDamp – 610 is then used for small areas to cover the entire vehicle from the inside to reduce vibration noise. This application is done when people invest into a first class car audio system which can easily cost Rs. 30,000 or more, vibration and noise dampening is then either part of the package or sold as added value part.
In terms of market reach, Sika is fast gaining ground despite being one of the late entrants in the field. “We currently have good presence across the country with around 125 distributors in all major cities and towns, including the North East region. We have distributors in the farthest corners of the country like Srinagar in the North and Kanyakumari in down South!”, added Mr. Asija.
Talking about Sika’s presence and plans for the OEM aftermarket segment, Ms. Kamini Madan, National Business Development Manager – OEM (Automotive Aftermarket), Sika India Pvt. Ltd., observed: “On the OEM side, we have recently bagged approvals from a few OEMs for windshield removal tools and seam sealing applications for the aftermarket. We are working with the other OEMs and hope to be associated with them in the next couple of years. We are already present on the OEM manufacturing lines that give us an edge over competition on the replacement side. With the product lines and technology we have, we are confident of moving ahead faster.”