Businesses in a variety of industries require hot melt adhesive spray systems for their product assembly. Often times, the biggest question is whether to utilize a manual or automated spray system. If you’re using one kind of system when you should really be using the other, it could be hurting your bottom line. Here are a few things to consider when deciding if your business will be better off with a manual or automated spray system.
How Big Is My Operation?
When choosing between manual and automatic systems, size matters. Most of the time, manual applicators are utilized by smaller companies that eventually work their way up to an automated system as they grow. When you find your business has a lot of workers and is spending a small fortune on labor costs, it may be time to graduate to an automated system.
How Tight Is My Budget?
If you’re operating on a shoestring budget, you may have no choice but to go with manual applicators. An automated system is usually a serious investment for companies. With manual applicators, you typically use less adhesive and less labor, which helps you keep your costs manageable.
How Much Precision Is Required?
Not all product assembly lines are created equal. Some require pinpoint precision when it comes to applying hot melt adhesive, and in such cases, manual spray systems are usually the best way to go. In fairness, automated systems are advanced enough to also have great accuracy and precision. However, there are times when there is no substitute for the human touch, which likely means you’ll have to stick with manual applicators.
What Are My Productivity Demands?
The debate between manual and automated often comes down to quantity. If you have high productivity demands, odds are you’ll need an automated system in order to keep up. Even with the ergonomic design of Sure Tack’s manual spray applicators, it can sometimes be difficult for workers to keep up the pace necessary to meet demand. This will be less of an issue with an automated system, which will usually provide a boost in overall productivity compared to a manual system.
Does My Product Require Frequent Changes or Complex Designs?
This will vary based on the industry and the specific product, but automated systems are usually better if you apply adhesives with complex designs or find that your needs frequently change. Automated spray systems from Sure Tack Systems can hold up to 14 modules and utilize inline technology. This makes it easy to both clean and change the applicator filters and keep things running with little downtime. If you have these kinds of needs on your assembly line, an automated system will be far more efficient than a manual one.
Contact us today for more information about our manual and automated hot melt systems.
