Product Types:
Hot Melts
Hot melt adhesives are an incredibly versatile adhesive with a number of distinct advantages that make them a great choice for production lines.
Product Types:
Hot Melts
Hot melt adhesives are an incredibly versatile adhesive with a number of distinct advantages that make them a great choice for production lines.
Not only do they bond a wide range of substrates, they are non toxic, eco friendly, and easy to use. Many of the storage and application issues that come with other adhesives can be avoided with hot melt. Add to this faster manufacturing speeds, reduced costs, and the ability to easily create custom formulations to suit individual business requirements and hot melt is a great choice.
Top Benefits
Ease of Use
Consistent application
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Easy to transport, store & handle
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Almost instant bonding
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Eco friendly
Business
Long shelf life
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Better mileage
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Reduced maintenance
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Lower inventory costs
Production Line
Automated dispensing
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Clean running properties
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Faster production lines
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Less downtime
Performance
Effective & dependable
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Good aesthetic
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Water resistant
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Excellent thermal stability
Substrates
Hot melt has a high viscosity which makes it suitable for use on both porous and non porous substrates,
excellent for use on a wide range of materials including:
Cardboard ■ Metal ■ Glass ■ Leather ■ Wood ■ Ceramics ■ Plastic ■ Rubber ■ Fabric ■ Foam
Hot melt adhesives are incredibly versatile glues that bond a wide range of substrates in a fast, cost effective, and eco friendly manner.
In terms of performance, hot melts form a strong and reliable bond, with cure time in the range of seconds to minutes. They produce a great aesthetic finish and can be coloured to blend with the finished product.
Hot melts can be used on hot or cold surfaces in a range of environmental temperatures. They have gap filling properties as they do not shrink when they cool. In fact, they can be repeatedly heated and cooled, which results in convenient, on demand adhesives that adapt to your business requirements.
They have a long shelf life, and are solid at room temperature, which allows for easy handling and storage. They are safe to handle as they are non toxic and they produce very little waste, which makes them an excellent choice for environmentally conscious companies.
Whilst specialist equipment is required in order to heat the glue to the right temperature for application, there are generally no other special requirements in terms of controlling the environment during cure.
Due to their versatility, it is often possible to replace multiple other glues with this one adhesive, further reducing business costs. Dispensing and application can be easily automated, and clean running formulations result in lower maintenance costs, reduced downtime, and improved lifespan of manufacturing equipment.
Hot melts allow businesses to streamline manufacturing processes, increasing turnaround time and productivity.
EVA Hot Melts
Ethylene vinyla acetate is the most common type of hot melt, with a strong, yet flexible bond, and a very fast curing time, EVA is ideal for general purpose bonding applications like packaging. This type of hot melt is easily customisable to specific industry requirements.
Polyolefin Hot Melts
This formulation caters for difficult to bond plastics that do not bond well with other formulations of hot melt. They have a long shelf life, are very cost effective, and can be applied at lower temperatures than other hot melts, great for health and safety and reducing energy consumption. Not only that, but they also have a greater degree of flexibility and thermal stability than some other types of hot melt.
Metallocene Hot Melts
This type of hot melt adhesive offers high strength in smaller quantities and are very clean running. They may be slightly more expensive, but this is offset by the reduced quantity required and reduced impact on manufacturing machinery. They also offer a greater degree of thermal stability than other hot melts, reducing the risk of pop opens and returns.
PSA Hot Melts
These are pressure sensitive adhesives that can be allowed to cool before bonding, which only bond once pressure is applied. They cater to applications that require additional time between application and bonding (open time). They have increased elastic properties, creating a more flexible bond, and may create either a permanent or temporary bond.
Most Common Industries & Applications
Hot melts are ideally suited to businesses that need to prioritise speed of application and cure, however, they have many other qualities that allow for use in many different industries, for example:
FAQs & Troubleshooting
Always ensure that you are using the correct equipment for your hot melt formulation and that you are using the correct instructions for your formulation. Very often, problems with hot melt adhesion are due to the temperature of the glue – either too hot or too cold will affect the strength of the bond. Equally, you must ensure that the bonding surfaces are clean and free of dust, oil, and grease, and that the correct amount of adhesive is being applied.
If you need help troubleshooting your production process our technical team would be delighted to help. Contact them today.