Adhesives have played a key role in modern product assembly for quite some time, but in recent years, hot melt adhesive technology has taken great strides forward, making adhesive applications both safer and more cost-efficient. That said, choosing the best hot melt adhesive system for your company’s needs can be challenging. For instance, what is the best hot melt dispenser to use? Which adhesives are best for foam bonding? Which high-temperature adhesive applicators do you need?
While there are certainly certain pieces of hot melt glue equipment everyone should have, each company has unique needs that may require certain types of equipment for custom applications. As an industry leader in hot melt adhesive systems, Sure Tack has put together the following guide to serve as a starting point for companies looking to install hot melt adhesive equipment for product assembly.
Manual Inline vs Wide Web Spray
One of the first questions you’ll need to ask yourself is whether to go with a manual inline spray gun or an automated wide web spray system. Generally speaking, for larger-scale manufacturing operations, a wide web spray system saves a lot of money in the long run by increasing productivity and reducing labor costs. Automated systems used to be primarily allocated for solvent or water-based adhesives, but most industries today prefer hot melt wide web spray systems over water-based applications.
For smaller operations or more precise tasks, a manual inline extrusion system is typically the most effective and economic solution — and Sure Tack offers some of the most efficient and advanced inline handgun products available on the market. Between the versatility and high yield of wide web spray and the precision of inline handguns, some industries actually benefit from both systems — the wide web spray for primary assembly and inline extrusion workstations for finer applications and finishing.
Adhesives
In addition to choosing the right equipment, you’ll have to decide on the right type of hot melt adhesives for your application. Wood bonding adhesives will differ considerably from the finer adhesives required for package sealing, for example. Sure Tack can offer sound advice on the best type of adhesive to use for your application and your hot melt system.
Accessories
If your hot melt system is the engine, the accessories are like the turbo boost. Choosing the right hot melt adhesive accessories and add-ons can greatly streamline your product manufacturing and make your workflow many times easier. There are many decisions to make here, such as:
- What size hot melt tank works best for your application?
- Which types of nozzles work best for your needs?
- Do you need a standard or high-volume hose configuration?
- Would a foot pedal accelerate your application process?
As you can see, there are many choices to make when configuring a hot melt adhesive system for your particular application. Hopefully, this guide has given you a good place to start asking the right questions. The experts at Sure Tack can help you with more specific decisions as to the right products for your needs. Contact us to learn more.