By Johannes Hellstrom STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Swedish engineer Atlas Copco is investing in new techniques for assembling cars, believing powerful adhesives and new rivets could see a surge in demand as automakers strive to reduce the weight of vehicles to meet emissions targets. After its 2011 purchase of SCA, a maker of adhesives dispensing gear, Atlas Copco last month snapped up Henrob, a specialist in self-pierce riveting, a method of joining one or more sheets of material together without pre-drilled holes. “Among those (technologies) that are attractive and large enough, there may be 2-3 more out there that we could consider adding to our portfolio,” he said, declining to elaborate. Atlas Copco’s interest in new assembly technologies has been spurred by a trend among carmakers to use more aluminium to reduce the weight of their vehicles.
