Direct Adhesives have added a new string to their bow and are now the UK Sales and Service partner for Timmer GmbH.  Timmer pumps are well known for their quality engineering and innovative design features.  The latest generation of pumps have digital heating systems with very precise temperature and pump rate control and users can even use a smartphone or tablet to control them for easier set up and use. 

Anyone pumping adhesives, inks, oils or aqueous fluids will benefit from conditioning them to a consistent temperature.  At a constant temperature, viscosity is controlled, meaning that your process will be much more reliable. A particularly good example is the Timmer IBC pump.  Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC’s) can contain 1000 litres of material and if this gets cold during storage, it will take a very long time to acclimatise prior to production.  The Timmer IBC pump heats the material as it pumps, so you can condition your product (such as an adhesive) as it is used, achieving consistent, reliable flow and performance.

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Timmer pumps are most well known in the UK for its products that are used in the labelling industry.  In breweries for example, high viscosity labelling adhesives are used and these perform at their best when heated.  The heating reduces the viscosity, meaning that the adhesive flows much better on the machine application rollers and improves how cleanly he product runs, especially at high speed.  Bottling halls in the brewery sector can be a pretty brutal place if your are a glue pump, so Timmer pumps are engineered to withstand an industrial environment where there is a lot of water around and they heat efficiently and perform reliably shift after shift.
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​​The latest generation of Timmer pumps for the labelling industry, the D3 has NFC technology built in, so can communicate via an app to a smartphone or tablet.  Data can be gathered regarding temperature, pump rate and other metrics.  These features are useful, but most importantly, the unit is extremely robust and reliable, it quietly goes about its business with the utmost efficiency.
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Established in 1996, Direct Adhesives is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of hot melt glue guns and glue sticks and premium adhesives for diverse industrial markets including packaging and printing. A premium partner of Henkel, the company has a proud reputation as a reliable and customer focused distributor combining strong service with industry leading products and solutions.
 

Hot melt adhesives (HMA) have become the preeminent choice for high speed packaging operations. Their fast setting capabilities, reduce unit costs by increasing productivity and also enable machine manufacturers to build simpler, smaller and more efficient packaging machines.
All hot melts do however have a weakness.  They need to be applied in a molten state, and this exposes them to the threat of thermal degradation, primarily by oxidation. 
Equipment improvements have helped and good housekeeping practice contributes as well, but their Achilles heel is always there.  Adhesive chemists have not rested on their laurels however, and the Supra range of products designed by Henkel deploys a much more stable polymer technology, which forms the basis of these hot melt adhesives.  Metallocene Catalysed Polyolefin polymers enable formulation of highly versatile hot melt adhesives, known as MPO hot melt adhesives.  MPO hot melt adhesives are rapidly overtaking many applications traditionally held by Ethylene-Vinyl-Acetate or EVA hot melt adhesives.  Even though the price per kg of MPO hot melt adhesives is on average higher than comparable EVA hot melt adhesives, the advantages that they bring mean that they drive down unit cost. 
                                         
Thermal stability of MPO adhesives is just one aspect of the cost reduction calculation, albeit a major one.  MPO adhesives outgun EVA’s when compared to mileage, so costs are brought down in this way too.
Returning to thermal stability savings, this contributes in a number of ways towards pushing costs down.

1. Reduction of blocked nozzles:  Better thermal stability of MPO hot melt adhesives means that they do not change in colour, viscosity or degrade to form char as readily as EVA hot melt adhesives.  This means that there is a huge reduction in the likelihood of blocking of nozzle, which results in line stoppages and major costs being incurred.

 

1. Longer parts life:  More stable hot melt adhesives result in longer life of spare parts, which has obvious cost advantages.  Nozzles, filters, hoses and modules all have extended lifespans and it all adds up.  Time spent with major strip downs of the equipment has a serious impact on running costs too.

 

1. Improved quality:  What is worse than a blocked nozzle?  The answer is a partially blocked nozzle.  The reasoning behind this statement is that when a nozzle blocks on your line, the packs are unsealed and the machine stops, not great, but at least you have only lost time and you can address the problem perhaps simply by replacing the nozzle and starting production again.  When a nozzle is partially blocked, the packs will be sealed, but often with less adhesive or an incomplete glue pattern.  These packs then continue on their way to your customer and that’s where they fail! Or even worse on the supermarket shelf.  The result could be a rejected load, additional transport costs and reputational damage.  Of course, this may not happen, you may ‘get away with it’ at a customer, but as responsible suppliers we all want to produce the best product that we can and reduce the potential for quality complaints to zero and certainly not just retain customer, but continually impress them with our products and service.  

 
 
Reducing Complexity
MPO hot melt adhesives can also reduce the number of adhesives that are required, simplifying the administrative burden of inventory control, multiple line ordering, as well reducing the risk of using the wrong adhesive in the wrong application.
Realising savings
One of the biggest challenges is understanding the downtime that you have.  Downtime is a catch-all category, which makes it difficult to then come up with a plan of action to tackle its causes.  The first step is then to breakdown your downtime into major causes, avoiding having too big a ‘miscellaneous’ category, which can hide a multitude of sins.  It is always surprising how much information can then be gleaned and once this is clarified it can be tackled.  A comprehensive breakdown of costs for items such as spare parts and cost of labour to deal with problems will then allow you to start to form a picture of what your true costs are.  Direct Adhesives can help with a number of tools to help calculate costings, known as value calculators, allowing you to very quickly arrive at a number which you could be saving and it is often very large!  We can help you understand the true cost of using your hot melt adhesives as well giving you recommendations for improvement via Adhesive Audits and Surveys.
Conclusions
 Consider all of the investment that you have made in your product and the part that packaging plays in it.  Packaging your product is one of the final stages of production and issues at this point may mean that everything that you have done before could be wasted.  Poorly packaged products are not chosen by the consumer, so you want your product to look its best.  Even though the hot melt adhesive that you choose to seal your pack may not be your top priority, in the competitive race for consumer choice, getting it wrong could mean that you fall at the final hurdle.
 
 
 
https://www.directadhesives.com/technomelt-supra---use-less-do-more.html
https://www.directadhesivesglueguns.co.uk/collections/packaging-glue-guns
 
https://kernpack.co.uk/packaging-blog/measuring-production-line-performance/
https://www.eastpac.co.uk/avoid-packaging-downtime/

​The range of glue guns can be confusing and the importance of certain gun features is not always clear.  Giving a little thought will mean that you will find the right tool for the job, giving you the best value for money. 
What will you be using the gun for?
Ask yourself why you are buying a hot glue gun.  Is it for a regular usage? Is it for professional use? What type of glue will you be using?

The TEC range of glue guns starts with the TEC 305-12 hobbyist/light industrial tool and extends up to heavy-duty pieces of kit like the TEC 7300 pneumatic spray gun with auto-loader, a seriously robust piece of equipment.  In between, the range includes features such as adjustable temperature, cordless products for extra convenience and guns with increasing capacity and glue delivery per trigger pull.  If the gun is to be used for long periods, you may want to consider switching to a 15mm glue sticksize, so more adhesive can be delivered per trigger pull or less stick changes are needed.  Talking about trigger pull, the TEC guns all have adjustable trigger pulls, so guns can be set to deliver a certain volume of adhesive per pull, which really helps speed up use of the gun.  
If you need to do a lot of glueing, there are guns which have pneumatic trigger control, saving a lot of strain on the hands.  These tools are heavier duty pieces of equipment, so you may want to invest in a spring balancer to help take the weight of the gun.

What type of glue will I need to use?
While most guns will handle any hot melt adhesive type, certain products do operate at different temperatures.  Polyamide adhesives need to be applied hotter than standard adhesives, so a temperature adjustable gun, such as the TEC 820-12 tool would be appropriate.  Polyamide adhesives are used in woodworking applications, such as knot filling as well as electrical potting and encapsulation.  
Low-melt adhesives are very popular and all of the fixed temperature TEC range of guns has a low-melt version, so make sure that you choose this type if you are using Low-Melt adhesives.
What other special requirements do I have?
Consider other things that may be important, such as the application of the adhesive itself.  There are many different replacement nozzles available to help with your application.  For example, a fine precision nozzle will help if you are trying to apply very small quantities of adhesive for precise work and a multi-orifice nozzle is great if you are glueing heavy duty corrugated cases.

The 5 most popular TEC glue guns
1. TEC 305-12 
A low cost, but high quality gun, suitable for light industrial or craft use.  The tool has an on/off switch, adjustable trigger pull, detachable stand, with integrated wrenches for nozzle replacement and a melt rate of 900g per hour.  Also available in a low melt version.
 
2. TEC 805-12
This gun steps into the industrial range, with a larger capacity of 1.8 kg per hour and delivering more adhesive per trigger pull.  The larger 250W heater means that it can keep up with higher consumption rates.  Fitted with a 2m long cable and suitable for 110V/240V use.
 
 3.  TEC 805-15
The same performance as the TEC 805-12, but uses 15mm glue sticks for greater capacity - the difference in output is significant!  Using a 15mm glue stick also means that you will be reloading the gun less frequently, meaning more productivity.
 
​4. TEC 820-12
A few steps up, the TEC 820-12 can be temperature adjusted and has a hefty 2.5 kg per hour melt rate.  Supplied with a 3 metre power cord, suitable for 110V/240V usage.

​5. Gastec 600
When you are looking for convenience, why not go cordless!  The GasTec 600 12mm glue gun heats using butane gas, so you can use it when a power socket is not available.  We have other cordless or 12V options as well, particularly popular in the PDR market.
 
Whatever your requirement, there is a TEC glue gun that will fit the bill.  You can browse through the site here.  If you are unsure, you can use the Glue Selector or get in touch with us on 01525 381111 or by email on info@directadhesives.co.uk
TEC glue guns are designed and assembled in the UK and TECBOND hot melt glue sticks are manufactured in the UK.  We are always happy to help and if you need advice from us, don't hesitate to ask.
Do you already have an old glue gun?
If you are looking to replace an old gun, even if it has stopped working, we offer an exchange service, where we can supply you with a brand new gun in exchange for your old one, with a very generous discount - get in touch for a price on 01525 381111 or email us on info@directadhesives.co.uk