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How Technology can Simplify your Mixing and Degassing Process

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Materials Mixing Made Simple with the Versatility of a Centrifugal Planetary Mixer

The processes of mixing and degassing materials need not be laborious with the aid of a Centrifugal Planetary Mixer.

A Centrifugal Planetary Mixer is an automatic machine designed to revolve and rotate a container of materials with the end goal of mixing materials and removing any air from them.The beauty of this equipment is that it has been designed to both mix and degas in one simple and programmable machine. By putting the materials into the container, the revolution and rotation can be completed simultaneously. This machine type operates using a mechanism that allows the container housing the material to be revolved in a clockwise direction, while the material itself is rotated anti-clockwise.

The high speed rotation and revolution produces a centrifugal force of 400G, resulting in the depression of the material within the container and the generation of vertical spiral convection.This vertical spiral convection is consistently produced, enabling the materials to be blended and dispersed evenly.

Centrifugal Planetary Mixers have many advantages over traditional mixing and degassing equipment such as a 2 component meter/mix system with a vacuum chamber or Techkit for manual mixing in a cartridge system. While the using of a mixing tool can sometimes break down the composition of a material, a planetary mixer will preserve it. Users can also expect to save time and effort with a Centrifugal Planetary Mixer, since the equipment is very easy to use and the mixing and degassing process is complete in just minutes. Furthermore, the process is more effective with waste reduced to the absolute minimal and lumps and fine air bubbles completely eliminated.

One particular Centrifugal Planetary Mixer on the market with a stand out reputation, is the SK-300S from Japanese manufacturer Kakuhunter. This machine only become available in Europe at the end of 2015 and has been a popular choice for users seeking cost effective mixing and degassing equipment.

With its designated operational panel, the SK-300S is easy to use. End users can choose between a range of different settings and functions that can be adjusted to suit individual requirements. As part of the mix programme, rotation and revolution speeds can be set separately, while balance navigation can be increased to accommodate heavier materials and decreased for lighter materials. Other notable features of the SK-300S include its silent operation and safety features including automatic stop, top lid lock and a maintenance alarm.

To learn more about Mixing and Degassing technology, send an enquiry to infoeurope@ellsworth.com or ask the Glue Doctor a technical question.

 Shop Mixing and Degassing technology.

Ellsworth Adhesives Europe awarded ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard

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Ellsworth Adhesives Europe is pleased to announce its achievement of ISO 14001 : 2004 Certification, awarded by the NQA.

ISO 14001 : 2004 is an international standard for Environmental Management Systems. The attainment of this certificate confirms that Ellsworth Adhesives Europe is committed to sustainable development and is actively seeking to reduce the environmental impact of its business with the implementation of environmentally conscious policies and processes.

Such measures taken by Ellsworth include the active encouragement of recycling amongst its workforce, customer base and supplier network, minimisation of waste, pollution prevention, educating staff on environmental issues and promoting environmental awareness, compliance with environmental laws and adherence to guidance issued by the Environmental Agency. The Ellsworth Adhesives’ environmental policy can be read in full on the company website.

John Henderson, Managing Director comments “At Ellsworth Adhesives Europe we treat our environmental responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. We acknowledge the potential effect of our operations on the environment, and have been committed to monitoring and improving our ecological performance and impact. To have been awarded ISO 14001 Certification, cements our efforts in this area and provides assurance to our customers of our sustainability.”

Ellsworth Adhesives achievement of the ISO 14001:2001 standard comes just after it was awarded AS9120 Certification in January of this year. The company also has ISO 9001:2008 Certification, giving it a total of three quality standards, awarded by the NQA Authority.

 

Any queries regarding Quality Standards at Ellsworth Adhesives Europe, should be directed at the company’s Quality Engineer, Douglas Burns, who can be contacted by calling +44 (0) 1355 577 216.

What is UV Curing Technology?

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UV Curing Technology – A Smart Solution for Manufacturers

 

UV Curing is defined as ‘a speed curing process in which high intensity ultraviolet light is used to create a photochemical reaction that instantly cures inks, adhesives, coatings and other materials’.

This technology has gained momentum in the manufacturing sector in recent years and it is easy to see why. With a long list of benefits, UV light curing is recognised as the smart solution for original equipment manufacturers. In this latest blog post we explain the process of UV curing, highlight the benefits of this technology and explore some key UV curing products from Dymax, the industry leading manufacturer of UV curing systems.

 

Advantages of UV Curing

The incorporation of UV curing technology into a manufacturer’s production process can have enormous advantages including cost efficiency, enhanced quality, increased safety and boosted production.

One of the greatest draws of UV Curing technology is its rapid cure speed. This benefit is particularly important because of the positive ripple effect it has on production. Manufacturers will see a reduction in labour costs meaning less assembly stations are required. Furthermore, shorter cycle times and reduced work in progress will result in improved lead times for customers.

Another significant perk of UV curing technology is its simplicity. No racking or ovens are required and UV curing dispensing equipment tends to be less expensive than required for the heat curing process. In addition, since UV curing materials are single component, there is no need for mixing and issues with pot life are avoided, leading to less waste.

A final benefit of UV light curing technology is that it is environmentally friendly since it provides a safe alternative to the use of harmful chemicals. Manufacturers also benefit from reduced regulatory and disposal costs and production workers need not worry about any potential risks to their health.

 

UV Curing Systems

When selecting UV curing equipment, there are three main systems to consider – a conveyor system, a flood cure system or a spot cure system and each of these equipment categories have been designed to meet different objectives.

The focus of a UV curing conveyor system, for example, is consistency. Due to their high intensity, this system type eliminates stray UV light and offer users a consistent line speed and lamp height.

The Dymax UVC-5 Light-Curing Conveyor is one of our most popular UV curing conveyor systems, thanks to its great features.The UVC-5 Conveyor is supplied with a Teflon coated belt and one UV lamp. Users can manually adjust the distance between the belt and the lamp, as well as the belt speed, to suit their specific requirements. Other helpful features include air-cooled casing with an aluminium reflector for the bulb, a counter to track timing and an electric control unit located in the transportation device.

The UVC-5 Conveyor from Dymax is perfect for curing smaller parts and has the ability to cure materials applied to a whole range of substrates from metal to laminated materials.

An alternative to the conveyor curing system is a Spot Cure or Flood Cure system. With typical cure times between 1 and 30 seconds, these UV curing systems are well suited to users searching for a high speed cure.
The Dymax BlueWave QX4 is a Spot Cure system capable of UV light curing at high speed and high intensity. As a spot cure system, this equipment has been designed to cure small surface areas, making it well suited to more intricate applications. The Qx4 unit is also very compact, however its neat size does not compromise its powerful curing ability. The Dymax BlueWave QX4 is equipped with a foot controller switch and four different LED heads.

While a spot cure system focuses on a small spot with a diameter around 5-10mm, a flood cure system covers a larger area up to 6 inches squared. The Dymax BlueWave LED Flood System provides high-intensity curing energy for larger surface areas. The standard system includes one array, a power supply and power and interface cords. Easy to use, this Dymax UV Curing equipment can be used as a stand-alone system or integrated into an existing production line. The Dymax BlueWave LED system is available in three irradiator wavelength configurations allowing the operator to optimise the process between their light cure system and UV curing material.

 

UV Curing Materials

There are a wide selection of light curable materials on the market – from adhesives and coatings to maskants and potting compounds…

Adhesives

UV curing adhesives from Dymax are special in that they can bond to a wide range of substrates – even materials which are dissimilar. Available in a range of viscosities, UV curing adhesives cure capidly and provide a tough, clear bond. Notable UV curing adhesive products include Dymax 3025 for plastics, Dymax 425 for bonding glass and Dymax 6-621 for metals.

Coatings

Light-curing coatings are designed to protect the surface of substrates and components from harmful agents. Coatings are commonly used on printed circuit boards but can also be used to provide a decorative cover on materials, depending on their composition. Dymax 9482 and Dymax 987 are two commonly used UV curing coatings. 9482 offers superior reworkability and excellent thermal shock and chemical resistance, whilst 987 is rigid in structure for high chemical and abrasion resistance. Both products contain a secondary cure mechanism, useful for applications in which the liquid may escape to an area that the UV light can’t reach but while 9482 has a secondary moisture cure, 987’s secondary cure mechanism is heat.

 

Potting compounds

Dymax UV potting compounds are well suited to a number of electronics applications including shallow component potting and sealing of detectors, connectors, inductors, capacitors, RF circuits and many more. Processing in seconds, UV potting resins provide tenacious adhesion to a host of different substrates. The Dymax Multi-Cure 921 Series is a range of high tensile strength potting materials formulated for adhesion to metals, glass, ceramic and thermoset plastics.

Maskants

Light-curable maskants provide a level of surface protection that cannot be obtained from traditional masking materials such as tapes and waxes. Dymax has a range of light curable masking resins available in varying viscosities and which can be applied through dipping, spraying, screen printing or by syringe. There are over 18 Dymax maskant products with each having its own unique set of characteristics. Dymax 738 for example is a thermal spray coating maskant which contains no nonreactive solvents. It provides great cavity and surface protection as well as high adhesion on nickel alloys or high-temperature steel. Dymax 750 also offers a high level of adhesion and as a peelable maskant, it cures tack free and is resilient to blast media.

 

UV Curing Accessories

Over and above the essential UV curing kit, there are various accessories available that will enhance or improve the UV Curing process.

The use of a Liquid light guide, for example, is the most economical way of delivering high intensity UV light to materials. Light guides come in two, three or four pole configuration and filter mount assemblies are available to prolong their shelf life.

A radiometer is a useful tool to have in the UV Curing process since they allow operators to monitor and record the UV light curing process – for example a low UV intensity measurement would indicate to the user that part of the apparatus needs to be replaced. Radiometers also have the capability to confirm if the operator is sufficiently shielded from the UV light.

Other accessories have been designed to offer protection from UV and visible light. Shields and stands offer protection from UV and visible light, whilst providing the user with clear visibility of the curing parts. Protective eye goggles are also recommended to provide additional protection from UV light exposure.

Ellsworth Adhesives supplies an extensive range of UV Curing products.

Shop our range of UV Curing Equipment and UV Curing Materials.

Our Glue Doctor is available to answer any technical questions you may have regarding UV curing materials or equipment. Simply fill out our enquiry form.

Lord 810 Acrylic Adhesive now available from Ellsworth Adhesives Europe

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Ellsworth Adhesives Europe, leading distributor of adhesives and adhesive dispensing equipment, is pleased to confirm availability of the Lord Corporation’s acrylic adhesive system, Lord 810/20.

The Lord 810/20 Acrylic Adhesive System has been designed to eradicate the problem of ‘read-through’ where the surface of a bonded substrate has become visibly distorted because of stresses that occurred during the curing process.

The issue of bond-line read-through can be a particular trouble for OEM’s requiring a high quality pristine finish. For example, automotive manufacturers cannot accept a finish that has a visible adhesive line and since these manufacturers are increasingly using adhesives as an alternative to welding, new products such as Lord 810 are being developed in order to meet their sophisticated requirements.

Lord 810 Adhesive works in conjunction with Lord Accelerator 20 and upon curing, creates a flexible system for bonding metals and engineered plastics. This adhesive system provides a high speed cure, and strong bonding with virtually no bond-line read through. Furthermore, the use of Lord Accelerator 20 enables precise control of the adhesive bond-line thickness thanks to the glass beads in the material.

With little to no substrate preparation required, Lord 810 even remains in position when applied on vertical or overhead surfaces, facilitating greater process flexibility. Lord 810 provides impressive environmental resistance to UV exposure and weathering and also has the ability to resist dilute acids, alkalis, solvents, greases, oils and moisture.

 

Lord 810 is available to order from Ellsworth Adhesives Europe immediately and comes in 50ml, 200ml, 400ml and 5 gallon drums. To make an enquiry about this Lord adhesive, please email infoeurope@ellsworth.com.

The Benefits of Using Pre-Mixed and Frozen Resins in your Adhesive Application

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Pre-Mixed and Frozen Resins – The Convenient Choice for Users of Two Component Adhesives


Two component adhesives undoubtedly provide a strong, reliable bond, however some end users may be put off by the hassles of the manual mixing process…

When mixing the two components, the reaction typically begins instantly, meaning that users must work ‘against the clock’ to ensure that the mixed adhesive does not become so viscous that it cannot be applied, and also to avoid decreasing the bond strength due to the diminished wetting of the surface. Special care must also be taken during the mixing process to maintain the prescribed ratio of resin and hardener, since even a small deviation from the specified mix ratio can prevent the adhesive from curing properly. Furthermore, because of the precise mix ratios required, a number of two component systems cannot be accurately proportioned in the small sized batches needed for production. To counter this problem, larger batches must be prepared where only a small percentage of the material is actually utilised, and this results in a considerable amount of waste.

By choosing pre-mixed and frozen resins (PMF), these problems and hassles are completely eliminated as the end user only needs to thaw and dispense the material.

PMF refers to the blending, packaging and freezing of two component resin or catalyst systems, and offers the ultimate in convenience and reliability. Utilising the Pre-mixed & Frozen Resins service available from Ellsworth Adhesives, end users need not worry about human error on their production line – the experts at Ellsworth will mix, degas, weigh and package the two component system, before flash freezing the package and contents at -80C.

Upon receiving the pre mixed frozen product, the customer’s only responsibility is to store the goods in a freezer with temperature no lower than -40C. The PMF product will arrive in an insulated carton and full instructions for handling, thawing and storage are provided.

During the mixing process of PMF packages, it is possible to modify the resin and catalyst systems with the addition of a third or fourth ingredient. Options include precision glass spacer beads, adhesion promoters, pigments, fluorescent indicators and fillers, all of which have the potential to enhance the physical properties of the final material.

Another major perk of using Pre-mixed Frozen resins is increased productivity on the production line. With a regular supply of PMF, production need not be halted or held up while fresh material is dispensed, mixed and distributed. The need for cleaning time is also virtually eliminated since there are no messy containers or sticky bench tops to be considered.

The benefits of Pre-Mixed & Frozen Resins are unquestionable and Ellsworth Adhesives is one of few companies in the global adhesives market offering this unique product and service. To make an enquiry about our PMF services please contact: infoeurope@ellsworth.com.

Enquire about our Pre-Mixed and Frozen Resins service here. 

Ellsworth Adhesives Europe Earns Respected AS9120 Certification

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Ellsworth Adhesives Europe is proud to announce that it has been awarded AS9120 accreditation. AS9120 is an international quality management standard specifically written by the aerospace industry to improve quality and ensure the integrity of supplies to its industry.

Ellsworth Adhesives already supplies to the aerospace industry – both directly and indirectly – and by obtaining AS9120 certification it is keen to build its market share in this sector.

Reflecting on the company’s recent achievement, Managing Director John Henderson commented “We are delighted to be awarded with the AS9120 certification. This represents a huge leap forward for Ellsworth Adhesives Europe as we seek to grow our business and customer base year on year, and brings us into line with our sister company Ellsworth Speciality Chemical Distribution in the USA which is also ISO 9120 accredited.”

Globally recognised, the AS9120 certification further enhances Ellsworth Adhesives reputation as a reputable supplier. Customers within the aerospace industry need not worry about ‘self-approving’ those companies with AS9120, since it is a given that they have met a strict criteria of requirements including conformity, traceability and adhering to applicable regulatory requirements.

Ellsworth Adhesives achievement of the AS9120 certification adds to its existing quality control standard ISO 9001:2008, also awarded by the NQA. The NQA is part of NTS, the leading independent provider of environmental stimulation testing, inspection and certification services. Both certificates can be viewed on the Ellsworth Adhesives Europe Website.

 

Any queries regarding Quality Assurance at Ellsworth Adhesives Europe, should be directed at the company’s Quality Engineer, Douglas Burns: on +44 (0) 1355 577 216.

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