Systematically making use of savings potential in adhesive application

Rising energy prices, shortages of raw materials and supply bottlenecks are increasingly putting a strain on companies. Under the motto "You don't need much. Just the right thing.", Robatech will present GreenSaver at interpack 2023. This service allows the savings potential in industrial hot melt application to be determined. 

 

Users of adhesive application systems have various options at their disposal to save energy, adhesive and compressed air or to reduce waste and downtimes. GreenSaver from Robatech takes a close look at the entire adhesive application process and reveals possible savings potentials with the 8-point inspection report.

The inspection is carried out on site and usually takes one to two hours per adhesive application system. It also includes an assessment of the equipment condition and the current application quality. With this service, Robatech wants to support companies in saving resources in times of increasing energy prices and shortage of raw materials. The 8-point inspection report provides a clear recommendation where companies can achieve the best savings in adhesive application.

Interested parties can find out more about the new offer and sign up for a non-binding inspection of their adhesive application system at Robatech booth 11G70.

Many manufacturing companies apply a larger quantity of adhesive than is required. Since adhesive is the biggest cost generator in the gluing process, it is worth taking a closer look at this.

One reason for excessive adhesive application is often the adjustment of the pump pressure on the melter. If the amount of adhesive on the substrate decreases, the operating personnel frequently counteract this in a first step by manually increasing the pump pressure. However, this does not eliminate the cause of the problem, such as a clogged nozzle on the application head, a clogged adhesive filter, or too high adhesive viscosity. Once the pump pressure has been adjusted, an excessive amount of adhesive is usually applied to the product unnoticed after the next filter or nozzle change.

Other reasons for excessive adhesive application: too long beads are applied, the beads are too large in diameter, or the beads are not applied in the right place to the substrate. Here, too, an analysis can help to achieve savings. In certain applications, it is also possible to use economical hot melt stitching. Instead of continuous beads, short beads are applied intermittently. This can even reduce adhesive consumption by up to 40 %.

Clean bead or dot application and reliable gluing do not only depend on the correct pump pressure, but also on parameters such as temperature and viscosity of the adhesive at the time of application. GreenSaver checks all the settings in adhesive application and reveals where to optimize.

There are basically three levers for saving energy in adhesive application: optimum heating management, the use of modern hot melt adhesives and the use of newly developed, energy-efficient components.

Heating management includes ensuring that the heating zone temperature at the melting tank, heating hose and application head are optimally adjusted to the adhesive used. This saves energy and has a positive effect on the application quality. Switching the melter on and off at the right time and using the temperature lowering function depending on the production shifts also significantly reduces energy consumption.

As part of GreenSaver, the heating management, the components and the hot melt adhesives used are evaluated in terms of their energy efficiency. It may be appropriate to switch from a conventional EVA hot melt to a metallocene-based or low-temperature adhesive. Low-temperature adhesives are applied at a temperature of only about 110 °C to 140 °C. In contrast, the application temperature for conventional EVA hot melts is 160 °C to 185 °C. Energy can therefore be saved by switching to a low-temperature adhesive. Low-temperature adhesives are also less prone to overheating and charring, which increases the reliability of the bonding quality and reduces maintenance requirements.

Metallocene-based hot melts offer advantages, too. Like low-temperature adhesives, they are also more heat resistant than conventional EVA hot melts. When replacing the adhesive, the amount of adhesive can be reduced by 10 to 20 % compared to the EVA hot melts for the same application parameters. This is due to the stronger adhesive forces of the metallocene adhesives. In addition, they impress with their clean and reliable application behavior and less charring. It is recommended to discuss the changeover to a new hot melt adhesive with the adhesive supplier.

When purchasing new components for adhesive application, special attention should be paid to their energy efficiency. Robatech will show at interpack 2023 what is already possible. The Vision melter and the fully insulated Performa heated hose achieve energy savings of up to 48 % compared to similar competitor components in the same category. In addition, both components work together to provide exceptional reliability for repeatable application. These high energy savings are no empty promise, by the way, but have been confirmed in an independent field test. The tobacco company JT International Switzerland tested Robatech's new adhesive application system for two weeks and compared the values with a competitor's system. JTI was enthusiastic about the high energy savings.

The fewer components that are operated with compressed air, the lower the costs resulting from installation and maintenance. The use of modern, electric application heads instead of pneumatically operated ones can reduce the compressed air consumption of the hot melt system by up to two thirds. Less compressed air consumption also means fewer potential leaks in the compressed air system. It is worth considering whether pneumatic models should be replaced by energy-saving electric heads, such as Robatech's SpeedStar Compact or Volta. With 500 million and 1 billion operating cycles respectively, both jetting heads are very durable and suitable for hot melt stitching and high-precision adhesive application. These features are particularly sought after for gluing primary and secondary packaging. In addition, the use of electric application heads has a pleasant side effect: the noise level in the gluing processes is noticeably reduced.

GreenSaver reveals the options available to users to achieve savings in adhesive application. The 8-point inspection report provides valuable data for informed decisions. Sometimes it doesn't take much to have a big impact.

Robatech at interpack 2023, 11G70.