If your daily conversations include phrases like “open time”, “set time”, “tack”, and “surface energy”, your job probably involves some form of hot melt adhesive, or HMA.
Popular among hobbyists for use in crafting projects (think of those glue sticks used in glue guns), it is even more popular in industrial applications as an alternative to water-based adhesives.
These advantages include:
- Reduction or elimination of volatile organic compounds
- Elimination of the drying or curing step
- Long shelf life
- Disposable without specific precautions
- No loss of thickness during solidification
- Lower shipping costs and greater transportation distances
Flexibility
Hot melt adhesives offer increased flexibility in areas like “open time”, where the working time it takes to make a bond can range from just seconds for fast-setting HMAs, to infinity for pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs).
Versatility
Hot melt adhesives offer versatility in the array of different substrates that they can bond with, including rubbers, ceramics, metals, paper, plastics, glass and wood.
Variety
Industrial HMAs come in a variety of different types, including larger sticks and glue guns with higher melting rates, as well as in granular or power hot melt blocks for bulk melt processors.
Applicability
Here are just a few of the many examples where different applications and industries take advantage of the benefits of HMAs:
- Corrugated boxes and paperboard cartons in the packaging industry
- Disposable diapers in the hygiene industry
- Spine gluing in the bookbinding industry
- Affixed parts and wires in the electronics industry
- Product assembly and lamination in the woodworking industry
Of course, hot melt adhesives may not always be the best option. These can include use on substrates that are sensitive to higher temperatures, as well as end-products that can be exposed to higher temperatures, chemicals, or weather conditions where an HMA may offer less bond strength or resistance.
For these reasons and others, Evans proudly offers packaging hot melt adhesives, pressure sensitive hot melt adhesives, and water-based adhesives to our industrial customers. Whatever your requirements call for, Evans manufacturing and research teams are here to help.
To Learn More
- Click here to learn more about our hot melt adhesives
- Click here to learn more about our pressure sensitive hot melt adhesives
- Click here to learn more about our water-based adhesives
