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This issue marks the publication of ASI’s 20th annual Buyers’ Guide, a purchasing and applications resource for raw materials, equipment and services used to manufacture adhesives and sealants, pressure sensitives, and adhesives and sealants products such as tapes and labels.

One argument many industries have against environmental regulation has been that it often ignores a holistic view of a product and instead focuses on only one attribute (e.g., volatile organic compounds, or VOCs).

2013 can only be characterized as the first year in the recent past where all was quiet on the front lines of the adhesives and sealants industry—especially as compared to the significant volatility the industry has been experiencing since the beginning of the 2008 recession.

This issue of ASI is very exciting for our staff, because we’re able to announce the winners of the first-annual ASI Readers’ Choice Awards!

QUESTION: I see many so-called “five-minute” epoxy adhesives (and sometimes ones with even shorter cure times). Are these adhesives truly strong and durable?

QUESTION: We want to bond steel to foamed polystyrene in large bond areas, and we want to use a cost-effective adhesive that doesn’t take long to dry. Is a hot melt the way to go?

The industry will soon gather in Minneapolis for the Adhesive and Sealant Council’s (ASC) Fall Convention and Expo, which will be held October 21-23 at the Hilton Minneapolis.

I am developing an adhesive for an application that requires heat resistance greater than 80°C. A formulation based on a waterborne polyurethane polymer currently provides the best adhesion to the substrate and is a fit for the application process. What approaches can be used to achieve the required level of elevated temperature performance?

Most manufacturers are currently or have been involved in some form of lean process. Your company may be well down the path or just starting out, or your customers or suppliers may be going lean. The Lean Enterprise Institute characterizes lean as “creating more value for customers with fewer resources.”

I'm writing this column in the midst of a very busy week. Sometime between conference calls and podcast recordings, I realized how little time I now need to spend on tasks that—even just a few years ago—took up the majority of my day.