An existing customer came to us with a new opportunity: They had a process in place for a product that was tedious and time-consuming and needed guidance on how to run more efficiently, while keeping both cost and ease of use top of mind.
Enter HAR.
The problem
The customer was dealing with laborious pieces of muffler felt which needed to be attached to each other, roughly 3” x 3”. They were using transfer tape, laminating full sheets of felt, die-cutting parts, and then manually removing the release liner. This was a significant pain as trying to grasp and pull back the edges was very cumbersome. Then, the assembler was laminating each piece together. This process was quite tedious. The cost of lamination is high and transfer tape can also be quite expensive and overkill for the customer application as full lamination was not required.
As you can imagine, the overall operation was extremely inconvenient and labor-intensive.
The process
We discussed the need for full lamination coverage and determined it was not required. As long as the felt parts did not detach from themselves, then that is considered an acceptable and stable bond.
Then, we looked at hot melt and determined that on these smaller parts, a handheld applicator and hot glue stick is the most viable and efficient option.
The solution
I (as the technical sales representative) met at the facility with the plant manager and the production supervisor. I brought over a brand new Hot Glue Stick applicator as well as a hot melt which was previously identified as a viable solution for bonding these wool felts. The product is a general-purpose hot melt and cost effective versus the more expensive transfer tape.
The result
The production team started using this new process, and about a week later the customer determined that this new method was faster and much more efficient. Cost benefit analysis is still underway, but we’re expecting to see at least a 25% cost savings in the production of each part due to the cost of the transfer tape and labor.
I was happy to have:
- Eliminated the time-consuming task of removing the release liner.
- Lowered the cost of production roughly 25% based upon the required quantity of hot melt vs transfer tape. (The customer should see hundreds in savings per year moving to hot melt.)
- Provided a more versatile product as it can be applied in smaller areas versus the die clicked transfer tape laminated felt.
- Eliminated the wasted trim offs having transfer tape on them from the laminated material. (Trim itself is not eliminated as that is unrelated to the adhesive bond and is a matter of the felt blanks being used to diecut the parts.)
At HAR, we are always looking for ways to help companies run worry-free and lower their long-term costs. We would certainly appreciate you allowing us an opportunity to discuss this with you and your team!
Readers are invited to use the links below to find and contact a local adhesives representative that can help with your company's industrial adhesives needs: HAR Adhesive Technologies has a presence in seven distinct states, uniquely focused on serving the adhesives, adhesive application, and equipment needs of each region in: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia