SPECIALITY
VEHICLES

SPECIALTY VEHICLE ADHESIVE, SEALING, AND THERMAL SOLUTIONS

Specialty vehicle builds demand more than simple assembly. Interiors, equipment mounts, insulation systems, trims, seals, and electrical modules all need to be secure, durable, visually clean, and practical to manufacture across mixed substrates including metals, composites, and plastics.

At TECHSiL, we help specialty vehicle OEMs, bodybuilders, converters, and subsystem manufacturers reduce fasteners, improve finish quality, protect electronics, and streamline assembly with tapes, hot melt systems, sealants, structural adhesives, thermal materials, and application expertise.

Contact our Technical Team to book a complimentary consultation.

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Industry Challenges

Applications

Why TECHSiL

Products and Suppliers

Resources

Contact an Expert

From interior fit-out to equipment mounting, weather sealing, electrical protection, and thermal management, TECHSiL supports specialist vehicle manufacturing with practical material recommendations and production-ready supply support.

We help with:

Interior bonding and trim attachment
Replacing or reducing rivets, screws, and welded fixtures
Low-VOC assembly strategies
Reclosable fastening for service access
Weather sealing and gasketing
Insulation and acoustic material attachment
Potting and encapsulation of electrical assemblies
Thermal management for electronics and power components
Surface preparation, masking, and protection
Faster, cleaner vehicle build processes

SPECIALTY VEHICLE INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

Specialty vehicle assemblies often combine demanding performance requirements with awkward geometries, mixed substrates, and practical production constraints. Common challenges include:

Fitting interiors neatly while avoiding high-VOC processes and excessive overspray
Reducing surface penetrations from rivets and screws to improve appearance and minimise leak paths
Replacing labour-intensive welding where heat, skill level, distortion, or cost create problems
Cutting assembly time where rivets, welds, and wet adhesives slow the line
Preventing thermal losses, moisture ingress, and corrosion around penetrations and joints
Bonding low surface energy plastics and other difficult or dissimilar materials
Managing vibration, shock, UV exposure, water ingress, and temperature cycling in real operating environments
Securing insulation, trims, conduits, and equipment without creating rework issues
Building assemblies that are strong in service but removable for maintenance where needed
Meeting fire, traceability, and compliance expectations without overcomplicating the bill of materials

SOLUTIONS FOR SPECIALTY VEHICLE MANUFACTURING

TECHSiL supports specialty vehicle manufacturers with material systems selected around the real job: substrate, process, operating environment, service access, and compliance needs.

Our solutions include:

High-performance acrylic foam tapes for replacing selected mechanical fasteners and improving exterior finish quality
Reclosable fastening systems for removable panels, service covers, access trims, and equipment panels
Hot melt and hot melt spray systems for faster, cleaner interior bonding with reduced waste
Low-odour and lower-VOC assembly options where operator environment matters
Structural epoxies, acrylics, and methacrylates for durable mixed-substrate bonding
Silicone sealants and liquid gasketing materials for weatherproofing, gap filling, and vibration-tolerant sealing
Threadlockers and retaining compounds for vibration-prone mechanical assemblies
Potting and encapsulation compounds for connectors, sensors, control units, and exposed electronics
Thermally conductive silicones, gels, and pads for electronic heat control
Surface preparation, primers, masking tapes, and protection materials to improve process consistency
Converted and slit tape formats to suit exact widths, geometries, and build steps
Kitted, repacked, or stock-managed supply to simplify repeat production and reduce line-side handling

CONTACT AN EXPERT

Nigel Jarram

I have spent more than 15 years working in the Coatings and Adhesive Tape industries for major manufacturers, and I’m excited to bring that experience to my role at Viking Tapes and the wider TECHSiL Group. Over the course of my career, I’ve supported customers across Aerospace, Defence, Automotive, Marine, Food & Beverage, and Packaging, helping them solve complex challenges with practical, reliable material solutions.

I’m naturally inquisitive, and I enjoy getting to the heart of how things work. Modern manufacturing processes fascinate me, and I thrive on finding smarter, more efficient ways to meet technical demands. Whether I’m working on product development, application engineering, or problem-solving alongside customers, I take pride in offering clear guidance, honest insight, and solutions that genuinely make a difference.

What drives me most is the opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and continually improve. I bring enthusiasm, integrity, and a hands-on approach to every project, and I’m always looking for new ways to add value and support the people I work with.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER | nigel@vikingtapes.co.uk | +44 (0)7547 441120 | LinkedIn

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INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS

INTERIOR FIT-OUT

For liners, wall panels, trims, headliners, flooring elements, and soft interior assemblies, tapes and hot melt systems can help reduce mechanical fixings, speed handling, and improve finished appearance. This is especially valuable where lighter-weight assemblies, cleaner edges, and lower process mess are priorities.

FASTENING POINTS & REMOVABLE MOUNTING

Where brackets, access covers, service panels, and interior modules need a secure attachment with future removability, reclosable fastening systems can be a smarter alternative to repeated screw use. A strong example is 3M Dual Lock SJ3550 for robust, reusable fastening on serviceable assemblies.

SEALING DOORS, HATCHES, JOINTS, & PENETRATIONS

Vehicle bodies and enclosures need reliable sealing against water, dust, airflow, and road contamination. Flexible sealants, liquid gaskets, and gasketing materials help maintain protection while tolerating movement, vibration, and thermal cycling.

EQUIPMENT & CONDUIT MOUNTING

Specialty vehicles often carry electrical, safety, lighting, HVAC, communications, or utility hardware that must be mounted securely without excessive drilling or welding. Tapes, structural adhesives, and selected fastening systems can reduce assembly steps while keeping the build visually cleaner.

EXTERIOR ENHANCEMENTS & TRIM ATTACHMENTS

Body-side trims, covers, aero additions, protective parts, and cosmetic elements benefit from materials that deliver durable adhesion without print-through, distortion, or visible fixings. Acrylic foam tapes are particularly useful where appearance and stress distribution matter.

INSULATION & ACCOUSTIC MATERIAL BONDING

Thermal and acoustic insulation often needs rapid, high-coverage application across large or irregular surfaces. Hot melt spray can be a more controlled, cleaner alternative to many solvent-heavy spray systems, with less waste and faster handling. TECHSiL’s current hot melt range includes sprayable options such as Tecbond 420, Tecbond 430, and TECHSiL 220 43 for high-coverage assembly work.

SURFACE PREPERATION & MASKING

Preparation consistency is critical when bonding coated metals, composites, and plastics. Cleaners, primers, and masking tapes help improve bond repeatability, protect adjacent surfaces, and keep finishing processes controlled.

GASKETING & SURFACE PREPARATION

Cabin enclosures, electrical housings, access doors, and equipment covers often need compression sealing or surface protection during assembly and transport. Foam gasketing, protective films, and converted tape formats help maintain both function and presentation.

ELECTRICAL ECAPSULATION & POTTING

Control units, lighting electronics, connectors, sensors, and exposed modules may need protection from moisture, dirt, vibration, and impact. TECHSiL’s potting resources position silicones and encapsulants as a route to protecting electronics against moisture, contaminants, and mechanical stress.

THERMAL MANAGMENT

Power electronics, LED systems, charging hardware, control units, and other heat-generating components need efficient thermal transfer without compromising long-term reliability. Momentive’s SilCool range includes thermally conductive adhesives, potting materials, greases, and pads for high-heat transfer applications.

WHY TECHSiL?

Specialty vehicle manufacturers rarely need just a product. They need a dependable route from specification to repeatable build quality. TECHSiL supports that process with practical application advice, broad access to tapes, hot melt systems, silicones, structural adhesives, and potting materials, plus the operational services needed to make supply work in production, offering on-site tape conversion and slitting, kitting, stock management, specialist storage, bespoke packing and labelling, full traceability, and ISO 9001:2015 certification. TECHSiL is also the approved UK distributor for Momentive RTVs.

SERVICES WE OFFER

Stock management solutions for forecasted demand and repeat vehicle programmes
Specialist storage for temperature-sensitive materials
Kitting to simplify multi-part builds and reduce line-side complexity
Repacking, packing, and labelling to suit production and service requirements
Tape conversion and slitting for exact widths and custom formats
Expert technical advice on substrate compatibility, process, and durability
Contract gasketing / FIPFG support where sealing automation is relevant

TECHSiL’S ASSURANCES AND APPROVALS

ISO 9001:2015 quality management
Trusted supplier relationships
Full traceability
UL Recognised Products
RoHS & REACH Compliant Products

SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE

Where supply chain resilience is important, we can specify UK- and Europe-made options in relevant categories such as tapes, hot melt systems, silicones, and structural adhesives, then validate origin at SKU level before recommendation.

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Materials for Marine Industry

Visit our Resource Centre and discover a comprehensive collection of informative videos, white papers, and technical guides that examine our innovative approach to the Marine industry.

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Marine Products We Supply

Structural Adhesives (methacrylates, epoxies, polyurethanes)
Marine Sealants and Adhesives (flexible, durable, weather resistant)
Bonding Tapes and Films (structural mounting, trims, panels)
Anaerobics (threadlockers, retainers, gaskets)
Hot Melt Adhesives and Applicators (interior assembly and fit-out)
Repair Compounds and Maintenance Materials

SUPPLIERS WE WORK WITH

PRODUCTS WE SUPPLY

Structural Adhesives & MS Polymers

Potting & Conformal Coatings

Thermal Interface Materials

Structural Tapes and Reclosable Fasteners

Anaerobics & Threadlockers

Hot Melt

Sealants and Liquid Gaskets

SPECIALTY VEHICLE INDUSTRY RESOURCES

Visit our Resource Centre and discover a comprehensive collection of articles, material guides, and resources about the Specialty Vehicle industry:

Tapes for Automotive

Revolutionising Automotive Assembly with Hot Melt Adhesive

A Guide to Automotive Sealants

Resource Centre

TECHSiL Product Guide

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are many things to consider when choosing conformal coatings such as Humidity Profile, Salt Exposure, Temp range, UV and Chemical exposure. A call to TECHSiL will help you narrow down the options.

There are many ways to do this from the correct enclosures to the correct adhesive choices from RTV’s Epoxies and Silicone Gels.

Talk to us about your individual requirements as there are many things to consider when looking at this issue, there are options of PU, Silicone and Epoxy products, but its best to speak to us to make sure you have the right one.