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HOW DO HOT MELT ADHESIVES WORK? TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO

Is your first time with Hot Melt? Great! There is a first time for everything! At Indumarsan we are specialists in the manufacture of hot melt adhesives and we like our customers to be fully informed about the usefulness of these adhesives and how they work. Today we bring you a very funny and didactic video. Take a look at this new entry in our blog, we are sure you will like.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOTMELT ADHESIVES

Today we would like to share with you a series of basic questions that many of our customers often ask us about hot melt adhesives. It is true that we have left the more technical ones aside so that we can all know a little more about the subject that concerns us. Nowadays, the overexposure we have to information thanks to the Internet makes it more difficult for us to retain content. In addition, so much information ends up making us lazy when it comes to reading, which means that we probably end up leaving things out that are really going to provide us with knowledge, while instead we read others that do not provide us with a positive return on our time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOTMELT ADHESIVES

WHAT ARE HOT MELT ADHESIVES?

They are thermoplastic materials, solid at room temperature, but which change their state at high temperatures and are used to make extreme fixings of different types of materials.

WHERE ARE THEY USED?

Hot melt adhesives have a multitude of applications: packaging, graphic arts, construction, automotive industry, wood and furniture, textiles, mattresses and sanitary products.

WHAT TYPES ARE THERE?

There are different types of adhesives depending mainly on their application: Hot Melt Eva Rubber, PUR Hot Melt, Hot Melt Metallocene and Hot Melt Glue Sticks.

ARE THEY BETTER THAN TRADITIONAL ADHESIVES?

Among their main advantages: higher performance which speeds up production and reduces costs, the hold is much stronger. They are reusable.

TOP 5 BENEFITS OF METALLOCENE HOT MELT

Metallocene-based hot melt adhesives are one of our favourite hot melt adhesives because of their performance and application benefits. Check out the top 5 advantages of metallocene hot melt adhesives.

  1. NO TINY STREADS

If you have ever used an adhesive before you will know that as the adhesive is applied, small threads are produced which eventually ruin a job, this creates a mess and can compromise the strength of the bond, it is also a sign that the adhesive you are using is of poor quality or that the equipment settings are incorrectly configured. All of these problems are solved by using hot melt based metallocene hot melt.

        2. ELIMINATES GEL BUILD-UP IN TANKS, HOSES OR NOZZLES.

Metallocene hot melt based hot melt adhesive melts cleaner and holds better in the tank, which in turn generates less carbon. Less carbon generated means less clogging of nozzles, hoses and ultimately less downtime resulting in increased profits.

  1. IS VIRTUALLY ODOURLESS

Hot melt is a chemically safe adhesive, but that doesn’t mean it can produce unpleasant odours. Poor quality hot melt products in poorly ventilated spaces can become intolerable in terms of odour. Metallocene is clean burning and virtually odourless.

  1. EXTREME HEAT AND COLD RESISTANCE

Metallocene products are of higher quality and also have better heat and cold resistance. This means they can be used for a wide range of applications, such as deep-frozen products for supermarkets, refrigerators or microwaveable packaging. Always test first to make sure the product works for your specific needs.

  1. EXCELLENT SHELF LIFE DUE TO THE THERMAL STABILITY IT EXHIBITS

We touched on this briefly earlier, but it is actually quite an important point. Metallocene can stay in extreme temperatures significantly longer than traditional EVA products without burning. This means that if you are not going to use the machinery for a period of time you don’t have to turn it off and on again waiting for it to warm up. Again, less downtime means more production. As you can see metallocene hot melt adhesives have a host of benefits that make them easy to use and apply but above all offer much higher cost and productivity returns than traditional adhesives.

COMPLETE GUIDE TO HOT MELT EVA ADHESIVE

Hot melt adhesives are the most widely used industrial hot melt adhesives on the market today. These adhesives are polymer based and are thermoplastic in nature which means they are solid at room temperature. Hot melt adhesives do not use water or solvents, which allows them to have a very fast curing time and an enormous resistance to different temperatures. Today’s post is dedicated entirely to discerning as much information as possible about one particular type of adhesive, namely EVA hot melt, we will pass on a practical guide to its manufacture and what industries it is currently used in.

EVA (ETHYLENE VINYL ACETATE) HOT MELT ADHESIVE

Today there are two main types of industrial hot melt adhesives: ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyolefin or metallocene. EVA is a copolymer adhesive and its use is mainly focused on industry, because of its composition it is able to adhere easily to a wide variety of materials and has a wide range of formulations. The composition of the adhesive will significantly influence its properties. There are various types of EVA adhesives on the market.

FORMULATION AND COMPOSITION

Ethylene, on the one hand, promotes adhesion to non-polar substrates such as polyethylene and provides mechanical strength, blocking resistance and is soluble in paraffin. Vinyl acetate, on the other hand, promotes adhesion to polar substrates such as paper and provides flexibility, adhesion and improved low temperature performance.

For example, a higher proportion of ethylene in its composition will provide an EVA adhesive with higher strength, while a higher amount of vinyl acetate will provide stronger adhesion to paper products and improve the flexibility of the adhesive. EVA adhesives containing higher amounts of vinyl acetate can also operate at lower temperatures, have improved wettability and also a longer open time and slower set.

PROPERTIES OF EVA

Although EVA adhesives vary in properties depending on their specific formulations, in general, they adhere to the widest range of substrates, operate over one of the widest temperature ranges for hot melt adhesives and are the most affordable. EVA hot melt adhesives generally require an application or melt temperature of 176º and have a wide viscosity range. For the most part, EVA adhesives have a relatively fast set speed. However, it is important to remember that if you are using a formulation with a higher proportion of vinyl acetate the set time will be somewhat longer. EVA adhesives can operate at temperatures between -40º and 80º.

INDUSTRIES AND APPLICATIONS

Due to their versatility, reliability and durability, EVA hot melt adhesives are used in a wide range of industries and with a variety of applications. These industries include labelling, packaging, paper handlers, automotive, assembly, wood, textile, mattress and healthcare, among others. However, perhaps the industry that most frequently uses EVA hot melt adhesives is the packaging industry.

EVA adhesives are specifically formulated to adhere to waxes, paper and other aqueous surfaces. For this reason, they are ideal for use in the packaging industry which deals with a variety of industrial products and applications. These products include carton board, package labelling, carton sealing, paper assembly and converting.

EVA ADHESIVE CONSIDERATIONS

Remember that because EVA hot melt adhesives are specifically formulated for your particular industry or application, there is no single EVA adhesive that is formulated for a wide variety of applications. The main factors that will affect whether your composition is one or the other will be the application techniques that are used, the cure time and the environment in which it is used.

At Indumarsan we offer a wide variety of hot melt adhesives that are prepared for any type of application, attending to the specific needs of each industry. For more information visit our home page and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

ADVANTAGES OF BOOKBINDING WITH PUR GLUE

In the past, binding machines offered two types of binding: milled binding and sewn binding.  But today, PUR glue is one of the industrial binding systems that solves many of today’s problems.

If we talk about milled binding, although it is more economical, it has the problem that the sheets can come unstuck if the book is opened too much or if it is used a lot.

Sewn binding, on the other hand, is more resistant, but it also has disadvantages. It is more expensive, as it is a more extensive manufacturing process, which means that the sheets inside the book have to be sewn together.

Later, attempts were made to bind with normal glue, but it is very difficult to bind photographic paper or couche paper without having previously sewn it, which made it impossible for a book to open completely flat.

This is where PUR glue binding came into being, because nowadays a lot of printing is done on photographic or couche paper, in order to achieve higher quality and lower costs.

What is PUR glue?

PUR glue is an optimal type of adhesive, highly resistant to environmental elements such as heat and humidity. It is based on a glue formulated on the basis of urethane polymer (Poly Urethane Reactive).

This adhesive has characteristics that make it unique and is preferred by bookbinding professionals for its high strength and durability on books. It is called PUR paperback binding.

At Indumarsan we have a wide variety of PUR glue, ideal for your bookbinding, as well as providing you with the right advice for your projects.

Rustic PUR binding

It is a type of binding that has become popular in recent years, to provide the book with greater durability and quality at the lowest possible manufacturing cost and without being sewn.

For PUR binding to be perfect bound, the paper fibre has to be prepared. Binding machines that use PUR glue must have a different milling system than traditional glue. Therefore, both the depth and the distance between grooves must be smaller than for traditional binding, in order to achieve a better penetration of the PUR glue.

It is highly recommended that PUR binding machines have a specific milling system for this type of work, but it is not necessary, as it is possible to bind simply by changing the application system by means of carriages, and using the same binding equipment.

In addition, books bound with PUR glue require longer curing time. Today, there are different manufacturers of PUR glue, and some of them offer several references, which have indications of different curing times as well as different chemical properties of the glue.

At present, PUR glue is applied by two systems: injectors and open tank. On single jaw machines, the injector system applies the glue on the back and on the courtesy. On high-production machines with several jaws, the PUR glue is usually applied on the back.

cola pur

Characteristics of binding with PUR glue

The use of PUR glue for binding has a series of essential characteristics that define this system as one of the most widely used today. These characteristics are as follows:

It makes it easy to open the book almost flat without detaching any sheets.

It allows you to bind all types of book supports such as: laminates, offset, digital printing and photographic paper.

It is the best successor of the sewn binding due to its adhesion and flexibility.

It is resistant to high temperatures, which makes it a perfect binding to be sent anywhere and in any climate.

It is much faster than sewn binding and more economical than other types of binding.

It is ecological and environmentally friendly. Less PUR glue is required to bind a book than with other types of binding. In addition, this makes the finish more elegant and the excess glue does not show through the book.

What can I use PUR glue for?

PUR glue is particularly suitable for binding the following types of print:

Corporate or product manuals.

Price lists and account books.

Periodical spine magazines.

Books with spines that are to be used continuously and intensively.

Edition books, such as essays, novels…etc.

The advantages of binding with PUR glue

When binding with PUR glue, we will obtain a series of advantages that we will not enjoy using any other type of adhesive. Among these advantages, we can highlight the following:

✅  It ensures the binding of all the pages of a book even when the book is opened flat..

✅  Allows the binding of any type of support, from photographic paper to digital printing, including plastics, laminates or offset, among others.

✅  Maintains its properties over time, so the book or publication in question will remain in optimum condition for long periods of time.

✅  It is highly resistant to extreme temperatures, withstanding temperatures ranging from -40 C° to 100 C°.

✅  It is more time-efficient, as the production process is considerably shorter than with other types of binding..

✅ Less glue is required. Because of its high adhesion and unquestionable quality, it makes the material more cost-effective. It also gives a more elegant feel to the customer, as less glue is used.

cola pur

How do we know if the book was bound with PUR glue?

If you have a book in front of you and you want to know the type of binding that has been applied to it, you can do so if you know a couple of tricks:

  1. Firstly, PUR glue leaves no traces on the binding. It is cleaner and more discreet than other bindings.

  2. If you look at the spine of the book and you can see the different sheets, we are talking about a sewn paperback. On the other hand, if you cannot see them, it is most likely to be a PUR glue or, failing that, a milled paperback.

  3. Grasp the spine of the book with both hands and use force as if you were trying to tear it in half. This will depend on the number of pages in the book, but in general, if the spine bends when you do this, it is a conventional milled paperback. If it shows a stiffness, it is most likely to be PUR glue.

Have you solved your doubts about the use of PUR glue in bookbinding? Keep in mind that it is a very widespread system, valid for any type of support. In addition, the proliferation of photography has led to more durable and efficient binding techniques.

Also in short runs, which until some time ago used to be made with the milling technique, the use of PUR glue binding has become widespread.

At Indumarsan we are specialists in industrial adhesives, and we can advise you at all times when it comes to applying them in your bookbinding and other processes that require adhesion.

If you have any doubts about this type of adhesive or any other industrial adhesive system, we will be delighted to help you. Contact us so that we can help you.