Automotive Engineering - March 2025 - 27

ADAS SENSORS FEATURE
Automotive engineers who partner with the right material supplier
can accelerate product development and improve vehicle reliability.
Dow has developed silicone materials like conformal
coatings, EMI sealants and gels for lidar sensor assemblies.
Conformal coatings are another type of advanced
silicone for ADAS modules. These thin, protective coatings
resist moisture, dust and debris. Depending on the
specific product, they can provide either UL94 V-0 or
UL94 V-1 flame resistance. Silicone conformal coatings
can be formulated with a wide range of hardness to
minimize internal stress generation. They are also available
in different viscosities to fill small gaps and accelerate
ADAS assembly. These products can be formulated
to cure at room temperature, with heat, and in
some cases can be cured with UV curing in seconds.
EMI shielding adhesives and gaskets that provide
sealing and adhesion are also used in ADAS assembly.
Silicone EMI shielding adhesives are designed to protect
ADAS electronics across a broad range of frequencies
up to the 77-79 GHz range used in radar and
lidar. They adhere well to a variety of substrates, have
durable mechanical properties, and are used in numerous
ADAS applications. Among their many advantages,
these products are easy to dispense and cure either
with heat or at room temperature. ADAS designers
can choose materials that meet a wide range of
elongation and mechanical performance needs.
Formed-in-place gaskets (FIPGs), cured-in-place
gaskets (CIPGs), and dispensed foam gaskets (DFGs)
are used to seal and bond ADAS cameras and radar
and lidar sensors. Formed-in-place gaskets are thixotropic,
meaning that they become less viscous when
shear is applied. They cure in place after assembly at
room temperature and bond with a variety of substrates.
Cured-in-place gaskets are dispensed, cured
and then assembled. They may require heat to cure
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
but provide a robust seal with moderate compressive force.
Dispensed foam gaskets seal with lower clamping forces and cure
with or without added heat. Both CIPGs and DFGs are repairable and
meant to provide an accessible seal.
Finally, advanced silicones for ADAS assembly and protection
include a wide variety of adhesives that are engineered to provide
designers with controlled viscosity and thixotropy for applicationspecific
requirements. There are multiple options for room-temperature
curing products. These specialized adhesives are suitable for
many PCB materials and are available in either electrically insulating
or electrically conductive formulations.
The importance of supplier selection
Automotive engineers who partner with the right material supplier
can accelerate product development and improve vehicle reliability.
For example, Dow has a global team of application experts who work
closely with ADAS designers to recommend the optimal material for
each application need. This close collaboration adds value throughout
the entire product life cycle, and Dow maintains research laboratories
that use the latest technologies to test materials under realworld
conditions.
Suppliers who take a collaborative approach like this work closely
with partners to understand their specific challenges and goals. In turn,
this ensures that the materials a supplier recommends are aligned with
the customer's requirements for thermal management, protection, and
assembly. Delivering cutting-edge solutions to clients is important, but
it takes a collaborative, data-driven approach to ensure that ADAS materials
meet the highest standards for quality and reliability.
Joseph Sootsman is principal TS&D scientist, electronics application
development at Dow. Lu Zou is senior TS&DsScientist, electronics
application development at Dow.
March 2025 27
DOW
Automotive Engineering - March 2025

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