Have you ever run your hot-melt tank above the adhesive manufacturer’s recommended operating temperature? Did someone on the line ever forget to turn the equipment off at the end of the day? What about drips on the tank lid, or that one spot on the nozzle that always seems to collect buildup?

In the last Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC) “Tape Talk” column and recent ASI Insider video, we discussed a number of topics, including our plans for Tape Week 2021, our adjusted strategy in light of the ongoing public health emergency, and the results of our record-attended Fall Member Business Meeting. Suffice to say, a lot has changed since then.

As part of a collaborative project focusing on coatings and joining systems for lightweight materials, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory (ARL) tasked PPG to develop a high-strength, highly ductile structural adhesive to meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) test method standard MIL-PRF-32662, Tier I-III specification. MIL-PRF-32662 incorporates a decade of rigorous research efforts to statistically correlate the complex ballistic response of adhesively bonded armor assemblies to universally translatable and commercially relevant quasi-static mechanical properties.

The global pandemic has accelerated demand for manufactured goods of many types, as consumers stay home and manufacturers continue to operate as essential businesses.

Recent innovations in the electronics industry, such as hybrid vehicles, mobile electronic devices, medical applications, digital cameras, computers, defense telecommunications, and augmented reality headsets, touch nearly every part of our lives.

Among all chemical curing techniques, convection and radiant thermal curing represent the most widely used applications for adhesives and sealants. During the curing process, adhesives and sealants usually pass through two physical transformations—evaporation and condensation—while being applied to other materials.

Shortening the time required to heat adhesives in tape manufacturing without compromising their physicochemical properties is one of the most crucial goals for businesses in this sector.

As consumers around the world increasingly focus on ways they can help alleviate climate change, manufacturers (and their suppliers) are exploring myriad options for making their processes and products more sustainable—and thus more attractive to these eco-conscious end users.

I realize that the meter/mix equipment can be a major inconvenience. Adhesives come in two forms, namely two component or one component. Two-component adhesives are mainly epoxies, reactive acrylics, or polyurethanes.

The seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic entered the consciousness of most people I know (in the U.S., anyway) in March 2020. I specifically remember circling the date on the calendar when it truly sunk in for me: March 13. What a difference a year makes.