Taking the heat out of things

Packaging hot melts that operate at cooler temperatures have been around for some time now; so many users are becoming familiar with the significant benefits offered to users by virtue of thse lower application temperatures.

The latest generation of products represent a significant breakthrough in the key areas where low temperature products have previously been seen as second best to traditional hot melts, namely heat resistance –

Heat Resistance
Users who pack warm goods, or who export products to hot countries, have a requirement for high heat resistance. This characteristic of a hot melt adhesive, ensures that the combination of elevated temperature and stress on the bonds do not result in the bonded areas “creeping” open, during transit or storage.

This has always been seen as a weak area for hot melts that are applied at lower temperatures. The logic seems very simple; if the glue melts at a lower temperature then the heat resistance is lower…, and that was true until recently.

Modern low application temperature hot melts take advantage of the latest developments in formulation technology to bring users all the benefits of lower application temperatures, whilst retaining excellent heat resistance levels that are equal to the performance of traditional hot melts.

What are the benefits of applying a hot melt 30C cooler?
Whilst dropping the temperature by 30C may not sound like a big difference in temperature, the impact of this change on maintenance costs, line efficiency and operator safety is significant.

Less Degradation = Less Downtime.
All packaging hot melts degrade over time, gradually forming carbon debris in your glue tank. This leads to blocked applicator nozzles, scrapped product, and production downtime. Running equipment at high temperatures also stresses machine parts which accelerates the impact of day-today wear and tear, all of which leads to increased costs. Low application temperature hot melts greatly reduce these problems.

A 30C drop in temperature means that the degradation cycle in your glue tank is slowed to the point where the carbon build up from the adhesive is virtually non-existent. Consequently nozzles don’'t get blocked and the wear and tear on machine parts is greatly reduced.

Feedback from industry studies and long term users of low temperature hot melts show that the number of replacement parts is typically reduced by around 80%, saving the users significant amounts of money.

Example based on typical figures from the food industry:
Typical spend on replacement applicator parts, per unit\annum = £ 1,500.
Down-time due to hot melt adhesive related issues = 20 hours\annum = £84,000.
(Assumes £7o per minute typical down time cost source, Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute.)

Assuming that only 33% of the downtime suffered was in “chargeable” time = £27,200+ £1,500 = £29,220,

If the lower temperature adhesive reduces replacement costs by only 40% a typical user would save £11,688

Lower Cost Per Unit.
Adhesives held at higher temperatures give off more volatiles as the lighter elements of the formulation evaporate whilst held at temperature. This leads to other changes as the chemical balance of the adhesive changes over the time it is held in the tank. Low temperature adhesives are free from the worst of these changes; so for instance the viscosity of the adhesive remains stable, enabling consistent accurate adhesive application. This in turn means that users can accurately apply the specific amount of adhesive required to give a good bond. In many instances this will yield a significant reduction in the typical amount of adhesive applied

Example based on typical usage figures in the packaging industry
Adhesive usage with standard hot melt adhesives, 5,000 kg x £1.85 per kilo = £9,250 pa
Adhesive usage with low temperature adhesives 4,500 kg x £1.95 per kilo = £8,775 pa
Saving= £ 475 pa

Risks Reduced
Dropping the application temperature also offers users a step forward in improving operator safety as the risk of adhesive burns is reduced. Studies show that one gram of adhesive at 170C takes eighteen seconds to cool to the point where it will no longer cause a serious burn, whilst low application temperature adhesives take just two seconds to reach that same low risk point. This is an important factor for operators and engineers who often have to open machine guards to clear product, and so who are at risk of touching recently applied hot melt in the process.

For more information on low application temperature hot melts and how they can help you email info(nospam)@packaging-adhesives.co.uk please remove the words no spam and the enclosing brackets

Sticking with it!

Adhesives are one of the hidden tools of modern life, when I tell people that I work in the adhesives industry, they automatically assume that I mean tubes of glue, packets of wallpaper paste, or something rendered from dead horses. Most people have no idea of the number of things they come into contact with on a daily basis, that only exist in the form they know it because of adhesive.

They look slightly amazed when I tell them that the table they are sat at is glued together, or that the magazine they are reading is bound with two different adhesives. Once they start to look around people quickly realise that adhesives are an incredibly common element of modern living, from the disposable nappies you wear as a baby through to the coffin they bury you in adhesives are never very far away!

Lack of Awareness
Second only to the lack of awareness of the number of ways adhesives serve us each day is the lack of awareness on how to use them!

Blue chip companies can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds building a brand, and establishing it as representing a high quality, value added product, only to have all that money wasted when the adhesive fails on the cartons or cases containing that valuable product.

Let Bert Decide...
It never fails to amaze me when companies work out a detailed recipe for their product, be it a food product, household cleaner or a high end perfume, yet they don't specify an application weight for the adhesives they use on the packaging. Their R&D department is high tech and highly professional, their marketeers have degrees and MBA's, yet the decision on the correct application weight of adhesive is left to a shift worker to decide by guesswork!

Packaging adhesives by their nature are usually one of the final products to be applied to the finished good. They seal the cartons, trays or cases that the product is shipped in, and literally carry the weight of the users brand into their customers premises. If that bond fails, and the goods in the pack go tumbling to the floor, all that added value and brand cache tumble with it.

It's rare for people on the shop floor or above to have anything more than a rudimentary knowledge of the adhesives they work with day in and day out. The majority of companies I have questioned don't even know the application temperatures for the adhesives they use. Information that almost every adhesive company provides in written form when the adhesives is first used. That information will probably be in someone's filing cabinet somewhere, but where is anyone's guess.

This blog is my attempt to help raise awareness of the vital role that packaging adhesives play in delivering, promoting and protecting your brands. So some simple common sense suggestions that will help ensure that the correct adhesive is used in the correct way on your lines.

Ask your supplier:

1. For a data sheet for your each of the adhesives you use
   - Ensure that your adhesives are run in line with the recommendations on the data sheet
   
   
2. To provide the correct application weight per unit of production, detailing the correct machine settings to achieve that application weight. (eg Nozzle type\size, temperatures, pump pressure)
   
   
3. To carry out on site audits to check that each line is working to the correct "recipe" on a regular basis. (6 monthly or quarterly).
   
   
4. To provide a written report showing variations against recipe by line and the spend per line.
   

Every reputable adhesive supplier should be willing to provide the information and service I've outlined. The only time they should object is if you are a tiny user of adhesives (say less than 2 tonnes per annum) in which case it won't be cost effective for them to do this work without charging for it. (Typical charges would be in the region of £80 per audit visit.)

These simple actions have been proven time and time again to do three key things:

1. They improve quality by eliminating bond failures.
   
   
2. They reduce costs through over use of adhesives. 80% of users over apply, which paradoxically can result in more bond failures as well as increasing unit costs.
   
   
3. They improve line efficiency.
   

For more ideas on how to get the best from your adhesive email:
info@packaging adhesives(Nospam).co.uk you'll need to edit out (Nospam) please.

We offer comprehensive on site adhesive audits, and in depth training courses on all aspects of packaging adhesives and their application.