General Precautions

  • Store all chemical products in an area above 5 °C for an adequate period before use.
  • Bear in mind that push-in trims will be more difficult to fit at low temperatures as the adhesive is stiffer
  • Use extra care when removing and replacing scuttles and trim pieces as they become more brittle below freezing point
  • Bonding cannot take place in air temperatures below -10 °C; the vehicle must be stored somewhere with a higher air temperature or the job must be postponed

Cold Temperatures

Additional measures must be taken when bonding glass at temperatures between -10 °C and 5 °C so that the glass can be bonded safely by all methods.
If cold materials are moved into warm environments, condensation can occur. If faced with condensation, damp and/or wet conditions, clean and dry any materials or surfaces before beginning work.

Sika® Cleaner G+P If temperature is below -5 °C the glass cleaner will freeze when it comes in contact with the glass and will malfunction. In such cases, move the glass and vehicle to a warmer environment, or ensure the glass is cleaned beforehand in the warehouse prior to mobile installation.
Sika® Cleaner PCA As Sika® Cleaner G+P freezes a low temperatures, Sika® Cleaner PCA contamination removal can be done dry. In such cases, no wetting control can be done.
Sika® Aktivator PRO Condensation on the glass does not inhibit Sika® Aktivator PRO. Pre-treatment can also be done beforehand in a warehouse environment to allow a controlled reaction.
Sika® Primer-207

Wait until the surface of the primer is “touch” dry if it is used for bonding purposes.

 

Tip: warming up the primer surface with a hairdryer until it is “touch” dry will save considerable time (however, high temperatures from the use of a hot air gun can destroy the primer surface).

 

At low temperatures the primer can easily be rubbed off the substrate as it is only touch dry and not cross-linked for a longer time than the mentioned flash-off time. This does not affect bonding purposes, but if case tapes (e.g. foam tapes) are applied and peeled off again, primer can detach.

Adhesives

For easy application, condition the adhesive at ambient temperature prior to use. Sika recommends that the adhesives are temperature soaked to above 5 °C prior to application, due to the viscosity increase at low temperatures. Sika’s recommendations for application equipment are based on adhesive temperatures of 5 °C and higher.

Hot Temperatures

To avoid bubble formation in the adhesive bead, the glass components and vehicle’s aperture should not be exposed to direct sunlight until the Save Drive-Away Time has passed.
The open time is significantly shorter in hot and humid climates. The glass must always be installed within the open time. As a rule of thumb, a change of 10 °C reduces the open time by half. High humidity further increases this effect, which can be verified by testing the skin formation of the product. Never install a glass after the product has built a skin.