The role of tape in the automotive industry
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800,000 square kilometers - an area between the size of Australia and Brazil. This is roughly equivalent to the total area of tape used by the automotive industry to secure the 2 to 5 kilometers of cables on every new car every day.
There are as many as 50 types of tape used on every new car. Some tapes are used to assemble parts, some are used to protect during the painting process and are removed as soon as the new car rolls off the assembly line, and some are left to work silently for many years. They seal pores left during the production process, secure trim and sills, and bridge gaps with the body caused by differential thermal expansion and contraction. They dampen vibration and noise, like the tape in the seats and dashboard. They save about the same weight as a bobblehead compared to using screws and bolts, although we haven't actually measured that yet.
There are as many as 50 types of tape used on every new car. Some tapes are used to assemble parts, some are used to protect during the painting process and are removed as soon as the new car rolls off the assembly line, and some are left to work silently for many years. They seal pores left during the production process, secure trim and sills, and bridge gaps with the body caused by differential thermal expansion and contraction. They dampen vibration and noise, like the tape in the seats and dashboard. They save about the same weight as a bobblehead compared to using screws and bolts, although we haven't actually measured that yet.