The Side Seam Gluing Solution offers perfect gluing with millimetre precision, right to the edge of the glue flap. It not only simplifies operations and configuration but also takes the work of machine operators to a whole new level.
What challenges with the existing technology does the side-seam gluing unit solve?
The new solution contributes not only to the process's cost-efficiency but also its sustainability. A disc gluing unit is open by nature. This openness allows dirt and dust to enter the adhesive. In addition, the open system and the spreading of the adhesive on the disc can cause water to evaporate, resulting in changes in the properties of the adhesive. Approximately three litres of adhesive are typically wasted each day when cleaning the glue wheel units and disposing of residual glue from the tanks.
Side seam gluing, on the other hand, is a closed system. No glue is recirculated and only as much glue is dispensed as is consumed. The glue does not change due to evaporation, so the glue quality is more constant over the entire production cycle.
Mist formation is an factor that limits the maximum production output by using disc units. The adhesive film on the disc is split approximately in the middle, one half goes onto the underside of the cardboard and the other half remains on the disc wheel. Fine threads form in the run-out of the contact point between the folding boxboard and the disc wheel, which break with increasing elongation and often disintegrate into small drops: A fine adhesive mist forms. Mist is easily swirled by air currents and settles on the folder gluer and the sensor technology located on it. Production disruptions, high cleaning costs and cost-intensive maintenance of sensors are the result.
In traditional disc gluing units, the adhesive layer on the disc is metered by means of a squeegee. This metering method results in adhesive splashes and mists, but above all in a high amount of adhesive at the squeegee, especially when the doctor blade points in the direction of rotation of the disc. The reason for this is that the disc delivers considerably more adhesive than is necessary and the constantly newly delivered adhesive prevents it from flowing back into the tank of the disc gluing unit.
The adhesive jam at the squeegee causes deflection of the squeegee, and increased squeegee adjustment forces are required to compensate. Increased setting forces in conjunction with the adhesive jam cause considerable abrasive wear of the squeegee and the disc.
The hydrodynamic pressure of the adhesive jam in front of the squeegee and the amount of adhesive entrained from the tank depend on the peripheral speed of the disc. As the speed increases, the hydrodynamic pressure increases, and as the speed decreases, it decreases. The results are a speed-dependent squeegee pressure on the disc and the well-known adhesive application variations depending on the machine speed.
Wear is an undesirable mechanical process in which material is removed from surfaces. Pre-dispensing on the disc wheel is done with one or more squeegees, which reduce the thickness of the coating to the full dimension. Even when adhesive is used as a lubricant, the doctor blade and disk wheel wear. The disk wheel is also in close contact with frequently abrasive cardboard surfaces. Due to wear, the doctor blade and (less frequently) the disk wheel must be replaced regularly if pre-dispensing and adhesive transfer are to take place in a defined quality grade.
What are the solutions of the Baumer hhs side seam gluing unit?
Precision is required. The nozzle of the Side Seam Gluing solution must begin and end the adhesive application in such a way that when pressed, the adhesive is present exactly up to the edge but not beyond. If the adhesive were to be squeezed out of the gluing gap, this would lead to contamination of the surrounding area, damage to the folding carton, or the carton would stick to other folding cartons in the vicinity. In addition, the aesthetics of the folding box usually suffer due to the leaked adhesive or dust accumulation around it.
The new Side Seam Gluing Solution overcomes these challenges. Adhesive application right up to the edge in the pressed state is no longer a challenge. There is not the slightest risk of protruding corners, problems during packaging or due to contamination.
The slogan "Less is more" applies without restriction to the Side Seam Gluing Solution: it has the unique possibility of applying the adhesive seam in small sections, in the so-called stitching process, instead of in the form of a continuous adhesive track as with a disc gluing unit. This reduces adhesive consumption, the associated CO2 equivalents and also the amount of residues in paper recycling by up to 50%. And without compromising on adhesive strength. The high-performance PX 1000 adhesive application valve ensures that stitching can be carried out up to the highest speed ranges without any loss of productivity. A saving that no disc gluing unit can offer.
One of the main arguments for a disc gluing unit is its simplicity. No parameters have to be entered, and the disc sizing unit produces at the first glance without any further makeready times. Even if this is often not the case on closer inspection, simplicity is a weighty and comprehensible argument.
The Side Seam Gluing Solution can undoubtedly hold its own here. The automatic mode learns the gluing tab, the gluing pattern is calculated automatically and the user can start without entering any parameters. In this respect, the Side Seam Gluing Solution is as simple as a disc gluing unit.
Approximately three litres of adhesive are typically wasted each day when cleaning the glue wheel units and disposing of residual glue from the tanks. With the Side Seam Gluing Solution, this waste is significantly reduced.
The system also boosts the sustainability of straight-line box production by eliminating the need for warm water used in cleaning conventional glue wheel units. Additionally, the adhesive application system from Baumer hhs is highly energy-efficient.
The Side Seam Gluing Solution from Baumer hhs aims to replace glue wheel units with high-performance application heads. Operating at machine speeds of up to 600 m/min, this closed system prevents adhesives from contaminating folder gluers and straight-line boxes.
The innovative gluing solution promises to minimize machine downtime, simplify the cleaning process for operators, reduce waste, and water use, while improving adhesive strength and reducing adhesive consumption.
Adhesive
The PX 1000 application head in the Side Seam Gluing Solution features a high closing force that guarantees perfect cut-off for precision metering and application of glue dots and stitches.
In principle, different adhesives than previously used on the disc gluing units must be used, as these are adapted to the requirements of disc gluing units due to their rheology. An adhesive suitable for the application of the nozzle must be chosen. Contact your adhesive supplier or Baumer hhs for advice on how to achieve full performance.
Conclusion
The Side Seam Gluing Solution from Baumer hhs aims to replace glue wheel units with high-performance application heads. Operating at machine speeds of up to 600 m/min, this closed system prevents adhesives from contaminating folder gluers and straight-line boxes.
The innovative gluing solution promises to minimize machine downtime, simplify the cleaning process for operators, reduce waste, and water use, while improving adhesive strength and reducing adhesive consumption.
Baumer hhs' commitment to innovation and efficiency is evident in the development of the Side Seam Gluing Solution. It is a significant step forward in adhesive application technology, promising to bring about a new era in straight-line box production.
The future indeed looks bright with the Side Seam Gluing Solution leading the way in adhesive application. As we move towards more sustainable and efficient production processes, solutions like these will continue to play a crucial role.
Thomas Walther
Corporate Strategy & Innovation Baumer hhs