Hot melt glue: main characteristics

None of the furniture production is able to do without special adhesive compositions that would ensure high-quality grip of parts during assembly. It is for this purpose that a glue-melt is used, which is a solid granule that acquires a viscous state upon heating and rapidly solidifies upon cooling.

Composition

The properties of this material are provided by special components in the composition. Most often, glutinous materials are made on the basis of vinyl acetate and ethylene copolymer.

This combination gives the product:

• Adhesion strength;
• Good viscosity;
• Cohesive strength;
• Perfect compatibility with other materials.

In order to further improve the properties of the product, the hot melt adhesive can also contain various:

• Fillers;
• Modifiers;
• Plasticizers;
• Antioxidants.

All this gives the final material better surface wettability, increased elasticity, less shrinkage, small thermal degradation, and much more.

Features of choice

In order for the glue-melt for the edge to fit perfectly, it is necessary to take into account the material features for the cladding of panel parts. If in production often only the edges of a certain type are used, then only the hot melt recommended for such products should be used. If you use different types of edges in work with the same frequency of glue, you should choose a universal adhesive, which is the same for any material.

Consumers are also offered filled and unfilled glues. The latter are cheaper and often attract attention, but their density is much higher, which means that the expense during application will be greater. As a result, cheapness does not justify itself. There are situations when such adhesives are still necessary, as they fill the deep layers of the chipboard well.

Features of application

Also, when selecting, you should pay attention to the features of the glue itself. Material supplied in the form of rods does not require complete melting for work. It is applied to the parts, gradually melting from one edge, thereby improving the quality of the gluing. The edge of PVC and glue-melt from EVA can be connected and according to another scheme, often used for complex structures. This option involves applying the glue in the liquid state to the edge, after which it is delivered to the consumer. Further for facing, the adhesive should be re-melted with hot air and connected to other parts. The speed of work is quite low, but the consumption of the adhesive is low, which eliminates all possible defects in the porous structure of the gluing parts.

Parts storage conditions

When working, avoid possible accumulation of moisture between the parts and glue, so that all edges and furniture parts can be put into operation only directly from a warm warehouse. In the case of their cold state, moisture condenses on the chilled edges and worsens the adhesion of parts to the glue.

Working temperature

In order for the glue-melt to ensure perfect bonding, it is necessary to work with it only at certain temperatures. Typically, the plants are able to provide the required indicators, but under certain conditions, the temperatures can be reduced.

For example, when:

• Presence of a burnt layer of glue in the tank;
• Low glue feeding speed to the application site
• Work with cold parts.

Nuances of application

To ensure optimum adhesion, the layer of adhesive applied must be of the desired thickness. If too much glue is applied, it will be squeezed out at the edges when clamped, but will provide better grip. A small amount of the composition will not lead to contamination of the working surfaces, but will not be able to provide the proper degree of bonding. After applying the material, the parts are immediately sent to the clamp, which is carried out by a steel press with smooth rollers.

Modern materials

To date, the best is glue-melt for PVC made of polyurethane materials. Such a composition has gathered in itself all the advantages of conventional and reaction products. Polyurethane adhesive is able to harden not only under physical effects of temperatures, but also in chemical. Special isocyanates in the adhesive structure form cross-links under the influence of humidity, thereby turning the composition into a three-dimensional bonding structure.

Full solidification of such a product lasts several days, but it all depends on external factors:

• Humidity of parts and environment;
• Temperature of parts and environment;
• Chemical composition of the glue.

Storage of adhesives of any composition must occur strictly in dry enclosed spaces at certain temperatures, because under the influence of unfavorable conditions the material loses its properties. If moisture gets on the adhesive, it becomes unusable. After the adhesive has completely passed into a solid form, its resistance is observed in the temperature range from -30 to +150 degrees.