Adhesive improves production efficiencyAdhesive improves production efficiency

DN Staff

April 6, 1998

2 Min Read
Adhesive improves production efficiency

St. Laurel, NJ--Like any other business, Productive Plastics, a manufacturer of heavy-gauge thermoformed parts, has to maintain efficiency when it comes to meeting deadlines, saving money, and avoiding excessive waste.

So when local distributor John Petrauskas of Ellsworth Adhesive Systems (Audubon, PA) learned that Productive Plastics was not as efficient as it could be, he contacted Manufacturing Engineer Scott Downing with an idea.

Petrauskas suggested that Productive Plastics could increase efficiency and reduce costs by reevaluating its current adhesive product. He recommended using a single adhesive--Plastic Welder(TM) from ITW Devcon (Danvers, MA)--in place of the three the company had been using.

With Devcon's 400-ml pneumatic applicator guns and pre-packaged cartridges filled with Plastic Welder, Productive Plastics improved productivity by eliminating manual mixing. Also, mixing nozzles that attach to the guns enable workers to control the amount of adhesive applied, reducing waste.

When the application process is complete, workers use clamps to bind the parts together. Fixturing time is only ten minutes, so little work time is lost. Once the adhesive dries, the product is ready for additional machining or shipment to customers.

Downing says there are many benefits to using Plastic Welder. Working with a single product decreases the potential for human error, eliminates application steps, and requires a shorter drying time. In fact, Plastic Welder takes 30% less time to dry than Productive Plastics' previous overall assembly time by nearly 15%. In addition, the quick drying time enables workers to handle finished products faster, maintaining an efficient, even flow of production. The result: less idle time for employees and fewer delays in packaging the final product. However, the most important benefit to using Plastic Welder, notes Downing: an annual savings of more than $20,000.

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