We have heard a few horror stories from customers using hot melt glue systems. Surprisingly, most of these stories stem from the same common mistakes. If they had known what we are about to tell you, these issues could have been easily avoided and downtime dramatically reduced. To ensure you aren’t one of the legendary characters, today, we are giving you 5 easy tips to prevent the most common hot melt gluing mistakes:
1. Stop “overfilling”. When the hot melt glue system runs out of adhesive, it can make the entire packaging line come to a screeching halt, resulting in expensive downtime. Although overfilling the melter to ensure the adhesive supply will last longer seems like it could be a brilliant idea, once the adhesive is actually melted, it can result in unwanted spillages. This can create serious safety hazards for yourself or other operators, as well as damage your packaging equipment.
2. Get rid of risky maintenance practices. Regular maintenance processes should always include cleaning your hot melt glue systems. Rushing through this task can sometimes lead operators into manipulating the melter without getting rid of the high pressure first. Given the risk that the combination of hot adhesive and high pressure involves, eliminating the pressure from the system is a necessity to ensure a safe cleaning process.
3. There is no universal configuration. Although it would be ideal, unfortunately, one configuration does not work for all applications. It is important to know the exact parameters, such as line speed, pattern type or applicator cycle speed that each application requires to avoid defective bonding or stringing caused by either an excess or a lack of hot melt adhesive.
4. Always use the correct type of adhesive. It is important to be aware of the type of adhesive your application needs. Take into account the product that is being sealed and the hot melt glue system being used. Using the wrong type of hot melt for your products may create defective bonding or even damage the material. If the adhesive is not suitable for the hot melt glue system, common problems can include an unstable pumping rate due to incorrect viscosity, clogged nozzles due to debris formed by burnt adhesive, or a complete stop of the system if the melting requirements are higher than the system’s melting rate. If you are not sure, ask! There is nothing more glorious than a perfectly glued product.
Start improving your production processes today by implementing these simple changes in your day-to-day operations.
Thanks for your reading!