It is Usually Always a Clog

The most common reason for your hot glue system acting up is because of a clog. Clogs are common because you are working with glue, which is sticky and chars over time. Below are some of the most common technical calls we receive, with the solution…and you guessed it, it’s usually always a clog.

Pump is not pumping

There are several reasons as to why your pump can stop up. Honestly, it is usually dirty oily air in your shifter. However, when it is not your shifter it is usually a clog. If your shifter is running fine, but it sucked something up into the hydraulics of the pump, the pump shifter will be stopped in the top position, unable to shift down. That is because you probably have some char or debris in your hot glue reservoir and while pumping, you sucked something up into the ball check valve. You have now clogged up your pump and need to send it in for a flush and clean. Another potential issue could arise if your pump is running but sluggish. If your pump is running mush slower than it used to, it is probably because you haven’t changed out your tank filter and it is clogged. The tank filter is located on the side of the tank and filters all glue before it runs into the hoses. If that filter is not regularly changed (every 500 – 1500 hours depending on how clean your glue is) then that clog can cause pressure to back up into the tank and not allow your pump to run at full capacity.

Gun is not firing

If your gun is not firing at all, it is probably your solenoid valve. However, if your gun is firing every other time or randomly, it is probably due to a clog in your in-line filters. The in-line filters filter the glue from your hoses into your gun. These filters are there to help filter our char or debris that was missed by the tank filter or that has built up in the heated hose. If the filter screens are not changed regularly, they will get clogged up and not allow for your gun to fire properly. For example, if you need to increase air pressure in order for your gun to fire, it is probably the in-line filter clogged up. Another clog can happen in the gun manifold itself. Typically, this is only in multi-module guns. If you have a multi-module gun and the last module in the line is not firing, there is probably a clog in the manifold.

Module Drips

If your module is constantly dripping glue, then you have a clog in your module. This is most common in air open, spring close modules. A piece of char will get stuck in the seat and not allow the piston to seal tightly, causing the glue to drip out. A clogged module will need to be replaced with a new module.

Nozzle keeps clogging

This one is fairly straight-forward. If your nozzles keep clogging there are a few solutions. First, you can change out your in-line gun filters. They are probably not clean and not filtering the glue through the gun. You can also increase your nozzle diameter. If you are running small hole nozzles such as .010 or .012 diameter, try a .014 or .016 and you will start to see less clogging. However, that will lay down a little more glue, so keep that in mind when reviewing your glue usage.

The best way overall to reduce the number of clogs in your hot melt systems is to do preventative maintenance. That means cleaning your tank every month or every quarter, depending on how many shifts your tanks are running. Universal Systems makes Purge Plus tank cleaner and we sell them in a 5-gallon pail so that you are set for at least 2 – 3 cleanings. Additionally, change out your tank filters and in-line filters. These 3 tips are the most inexpensive way to keep your hot melt system running smoothly.

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The Lost Art of Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting is most definitely a lost art. In today’s throwaway society, we have lost touch with our ability to fix things ourselves. That is true in all aspects of business and most definitely prevalent in the packaging world.

For us, in the hot melt application industry, we have seen it get progressively worse over the last few years. Ever since the pandemic, it seems that most hot melt manufacturers no longer stand behind their equipment and help with troubleshooting. Industry giants, like Nordson, want you to buy new machines, they don’t want you to fix what you already have. Here at Universal Systems, that is the exact opposite of our company culture. We are here to help, we believe in our equipment, and that the art of troubleshooting isn’t something that should be lost forever.

That being said, troubleshooting a pump not running doesn’t mean hitting it with a wrench until it moves. There is an art to it. Using deductive thinking to pinpoint the cause of the issue versus just replacing each piece until it starts working again. For example, your line is running a multi-module gun, and the last module on the line isn’t getting glue. In order to figure out where the real issue lies you first need to make sure all of your key points are met. First, is your glue heated to the correct temperature? What is the consistency of the glue out of the first module in the gun versus the second, etc.? If the gun isn’t heated to temperature, your glue’s viscosity may not be correct to run through the manifold to all modules. Second, have you checked your in-line filters? There could be a clog in the filter not allowing enough glue to flow into the gun to get to all modules. There could also be a clog in manifold itself. Once you eliminate all potential variables, you will be able to deduct what your actual problem may be.

Training on equipment is also very important in practicing the art of troubleshooting. If you have line operators that understand how your equipment works, they will be better equipped to troubleshoot potential issues. If your line operators or floor managers are not fully versed with your equipment, you should be able to call the equipment manufacturer to go through troubleshooting steps with you. At Universal Systems, we pride ourselves in our customer service and ability to walk any customer through troubleshooting. If you have a manufacturer, like Nordson, that will not take that time with you, maybe it’s time for a change to USSE.

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How Dirty Air Impacts Your Pneumatic Systems

Pneumatic hot melt systems are run by air in both the pump and the applicator guns. One of the most important ways to ensure the longest run time out of any pneumatic system is to make sure that the air is clean and dry. That can be easier said than done. Most all packaging facilities have oil, water, or debris in their air. That is just the way it is. Some factories will install air cleaning systems and then add lubricators to lines to ensure that other equipment that requires oil runs smoothly. But even with the most expensive and elaborate air filtration system, there will always be some type of substance that gets by and can lead to issues in the pneumatic pumps of hot melt units. The simplest solution is to install an oil removal filter regulator to the air line running to the pump.

Oily air is our most commonly found issue inside facilities that have pumps stop up. The reason is because the shifters are manufactured with very specific tolerance clearance between the shifter spool and sleeve. This design is a necessity in order to get the pump to shift. Too much clearance and the air will just blow by the spool, never building up enough air pressure to pump. Too little clearance and the shifter will jam. That being said, if you have oily air or dirty air being run through the shifter, over time, that will cause a film to build up inside the shifter and cause a jam. Depending on the amount of oil or dirt in your air, and the number of hours the systems is run for, will determine how long this will take to happen. However, if you feel like your facility air is questionable, we suggest that you use the oil-removal filter regulator to prevent any shifter stop ups.

Another pump issue that can be caused by dirty or oily air is that it can get into the air motor and damage the rulon seals. The seals need to be tight to snuggly move up and down the air motor and if they get damaged by oil or dirt, that can lead to your pump not efficiently pumping. These seals can be replaced over time and should be checked every 2,000 hours.

Universal Systems offers pump rebuild kits for the seals, as well as sells the shifter valves in case you ever run into a pump issue caused by dirty, oily air. For more information on our pump rebuilding services, or for any technical support you might need, please call (561) 272-5542 or email sales@ussefl.com.

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Cold Weather Impacts Your Hot Glue

Most facilities are located in parts of the US impacted by the cold weather months. As the weather gets colder, so does the interior of the factories where most packaging lines operate. It seems like common sense that as the environment around your hot melt system gets colder, so will your hot glue unless you increase the temperature. Below are a few key factors to realizing you need to up your temperature.

Hot Melt Consistency

Hot melt consistency is the number one problem in most high-speed packaging lines during the winter months. This includes not only the consistency of the glue within the heated reservoir, but also the consistency of the glue to stay at temperature as it travels down that line. Just because your glue looks viscous inside the pot, doesn’t mean it is holding the same viscosity throughout the travel process. If your glue looks stringy or your guns are not firing consistently, then you most likely have a glue temperature problem. Try increasing the temperature of the tank, hoses and guns by 15 degrees. Please note that your hoses and guns should already be set 15 degrees higher than your tank. A minor adjustment like this will not char your glue, but should help keep it consistently viscous throughout the travel process.

Locate Cold Joints

Another important task would be to inspect your system setup for any cold joints. A cold joint would be any unnecessary extensions that you have added throughout the adhesive application process. Most cold joints are found on older machines that use larger sized extensions and filter housings. The more cold joints on the system, the more inconsistent the glue will heat and stay heated throughout the entire application process. If you cannot eliminate cold joints, increasing the temperature settings of the tank, hoses and guns will be helpful.

Location of your Line

One of the most important things to look at is where your packaging line is located within your facility. Most melters are located at the end of the line, which leaves them close to an exterior wall, door or window. The cold temperature outside could be impacting, not only the viscosity of your glue, but the heating time of your glue and its adhesion ability. Every time your line operator opens the fill door on the hot melt tank, the external air hits the existing glue and cools it off. Even if the lid on your tank is only open for a few minutes, that could impact not only the current glue in the tank reservoir, but the glue you are adding to the tank. If your glue pellets are colder than normal, it will take a longer amount of time to heat them. Since you cannot move the line, increasing the set temperature of your tank, hoses and guns will help eliminate glue inconsistency during the winter months.

If you have any questions about how to reduce the impact of winter weather on your hot melt system, please reach out to a technical rep at sales@ussefl.com.

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ProBilt Glue Systems Meet the Demands & Needs of Packaging Lines

The trend in packaging for many CPGs has been to move away from in-house packaging solutions and more towards co-packers and contract packagers. Rather than dedicating complete in-house lines, CPGs and processors can be more flexible with their budgets by putting the responsibility of capital investments for machinery in the hands of the contract packagers. In addition, the CPGs no longer have to worry about hiring line operators for the packaging machines. In the last few years, it has become clear that hiring, retaining and training employees is a challenge for every company. CPGs are finding that if they move the responsibility of packaging to contract companies, they no longer have to deal with that potential issue.

The move to contract packaging is not a bad thing for glue equipment OEMs, like Universal Systems SE. We enjoy working with contract packagers because they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to focus on packaging lines and, in most cases, know what they want and need from a hot glue machine, more than a CPG will.

Below is a list of requirements we are hearing about from Contract Packagers for their packaging equipment, and an explanation as to why Universal Systems ProBilt systems will work best to fulfill these needs.

  • Quick changeovers to limit downtime – USSE’s ProBilt systems are plug and play. They are easy to set up and disable for cleaning, preventative maintenance, component replacement, etc.
  • Preventative maintenance schedules – USSE believes that preventative maintenance is key to maintain the efficiency and longevity of any piece of machinery. A hot glue tank is no different. Universal Systems offers up a preventative maintenance schedule upon request, along with recommendations on what parts to keep on the shelf and how many of each part is needed to keep your operation up and running at all times.
  • Streamlined equipment so that system components are interchangeable – Universal Systems prides ourselves in being the most streamlined OEM of hot melt machines in the market. Not only do all of our tanks take the same pumps, filters, valves, etc., all of our components are interchangeable with our top competitors including hoses, guns, modules and nozzles.
  • Versatility for different packaging setups – Universal Systems manufactures over 100 different types of applications options, as well as the option to custom CNC any configuration needed.
  • Easy-to-operate machines – Our ProBilt tanks are by far the easiest in the industry to operate. We focus on longevity and simplicity so that anyone can set up and operate our tanks with ease. We also offer online videos on how to set temperature and utilize our setback feature.

For more information on Universal Systems and our ProBilt line of products please reach out to sales@ussefl.com or call (561) 272-5442.

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Best Practices to Ease Supply Chain Burdens

It is no secret that everyone is experience supply chain issues this year. While there may be no end in sight, Universal Systems can only try and help ease the burdens on our end users. Below are a few of the best practices that we have implemented that we can recommend for our customers.

Keep an Open Line of Communication

With several of our competitors experiencing supply chain issues due to their overseas manufacturing and shipping issues in the current cultural climate, Universal Systems, being a USA manufacturer has received a lot of new business from large end users of hot melt equipment who would normally be buying from the big-name brand manufacturers. With the new influx of business, we have been open and honest with customers as to what we stock and what we make custom. If a new customer who is used to buying from Nordson calls and asks us lead time on standard stock items, we are happy to communicate that we can ship same day. However, if they have a custom gun or hose, we are honest regarding lead time and ship dates, normally 3-5 business days.

Plan Ahead

It is so important for companies to try and plan ahead with their inventory. While we realize this may be hard for many buyers due to lack of budget or their inability to get “out of the weeds” from being so far behind during Covid lockdowns, it is the only way to ensure there is no downtime on your packaging lines. Universal Systems offers all of our customers a preventative maintenance schedule and inventory recommendation list, so that you know what to keep on the shelf based on the equipment you are running.

Try New Products

Many of us get stuck in our ways and don’t realize there are other options out there that might improve our operations or way of doing business. Now that some large brand name companies, who have spent years manufacturing overseas, are feeling the crunch of no inventory due to low supply chain, many packagers should see this as an opportunity to work with Universal Systems. We have been manufacturing hot melt equipment in the USA for over 40 years and are well versed in packaging line needs and set ups. We manufacture most of the same products as our largest competitors and stock over 10,000 items at all times.

Think Outside the Box

With over 40 years of experience in packaging equipment, Universal Systems’ technicians are most skilled in thinking outside of the box. Whether it is troubleshooting an issue with an old machine that has been around since the dawn of day, or setting up a new line configuration, sometimes the most common answers don’t always work. We urge our customers to keep an open mind and work with us to figure out the best solutions to your packaging needs.

For more information about Universal Systems’ ProBilt line or products please reach out to sales@ussefl.com or call (561) 272-5442.

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Help When You Need It

In the post-pandemic age of industry, every company is finding themselves in need of more help. Whether it is qualified technicians with experience in the field, or technical support and customer service from their vendors. A lot of large companies, like Nordson®, have gotten rid of their technical support and customer service representatives, replacing them with automated systems or remote sales reps that do not have a detailed knowledge of each customers purchase history or equipment needs. That is making it difficult for CPGs to troubleshoot issues or for new maintenance managers to know what to order.

Many line operators of hot melt machines are new to the industry, since companies saw their long-term employees retire during the pandemic. At Universal Systems, we not only stayed open and kept all of our employees during the pandemic, we have kept detailed reports of our customers purchase history, as well as a cross reference list of our products to Nordson®. We are always here to take any technical calls or offer Nordson® replacement parts when you need them. With the “supply chain shortage” impacting all Americans, we made sure to back our bets here at USSE. We have ramped up our inventory by double its normal size to ensure that you can get products when you need them and not be held hostage to overseas competitor parts. We make everything in the USA and use all US suppliers. We stand behind our products and feel certain that we would be able to help you with any issue that may arise with your hot melt equipment.

For any technical support please email tech@ussefl.com or call 561-272-5442.

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Glue Gun vs. Module vs. Nozzle

One of the largest misconceptions of hot melt packaging machinery is that maintenance on a glue applicator gun means replacing the entire assembly. That is not always the case. While sometimes, glue guns do need to be replaced, there are other times when a module or nozzle could be a cheaper solution to your problem.

What’s the difference?

It is pretty simple. The glue gun is the entire assembly (minus the nozzle). This includes the cordset, heating element, RTD, manifold and module. Essentially, if you order a glue gun, once you receive it the only thing you need to do is plug it in, attach the in-line filter assembly though the back fitting, screw on a nozzle and you are good to go. The reason to replace the entire gun would be if you get an error code on your melter main board that the gun zone is either not heating or not reading the RTD. If you get the gun zone heater error, that means that the heating element has stopped working and the gun needs to be replaced. If you get the gun zone RTD error, that means that the temperature can no longer be regulated and the gun needs to be replaced.

However, if you get no main board error code, but your gun is dripping or not dispensing glue at all, that could be a module or nozzle issue.

Modules are the mechanisms that attach to the front of the glue gun manifold to dispense the glue. These modules are operated by air and springs within the module body that control the piston to dispense the glue for easy release and clean cut off. If you are experiencing dripping, or no clean glue cut off, then most likely there is char in the spring that is holding the piston up and leaving the module open. Or, in some cases, the seals within the module could be stiff from usage and wear, and no longer creating the tight seal required for precision dispensing. In either of these instances, the module would need to be replaced.

If you are getting no glue at all to come out of the module, most likely your nozzle is clogged. The nozzle, or tip, is typically attached to the module and can easily be changed by screwing it off and on. In some cases, such as zero cavity or reduced cavity modules, the nozzle is fixed and can only be replaced by rebuilding the entire module, replacing the tip, piston and seals.

If you have any questions about which part of your glue gun you need to replace, please give us a call at 561-272-5442 or email sales@ussefl.com.

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Cold Weather Impacts to Your Hot Glue Melter

As we move into the holiday season, we also experience a change in the weather. In most places in the US, the winter months mean that the climate inside most packaging plants change. With that, line operators need to take that temperature change into consideration when working with hot glue machines on their packaging lines.

Hot melt consistency, heated hose and gun temperature consistency and glue stringing are all potential problems that maintenance managers can deal with during the winter months. One of the most important things to look at is where your packaging line is located within your facility. Most melters are located at the end of the line, which leaves them close to an exterior wall, door or window. The cold temperature outside could be impacting, not only the viscosity of your glue, but the heating time of your glue and its adhesion ability. Every time your line operator opens the fill door on the hot melt tank, the external air hits the existing glue and cools it off. Even if the lid on your tank is only open for a few minutes, that could impact not only the current glue in the tank reservoir, but the glue you are adding to the tank. If your glue pellets are colder than normal, it will take a longer amount of time to heat them.

Another important task would be to inspect your system setup for any cold joints. A cold joint would be any unnecessary extensions that you have added throughout the adhesive application process. Most cold joints are found on older machines that use larger sized extensions and filter housings. The more cold joints on the system, the more inconsistent the glue will heat and stay heated throughout the entire application process.

If your main problem is glue stringing in the colder months, an easy solution would be to shorten the distance from the nozzle tip to the top of the box. Limiting the amount of time the glue has to travel in the air will help to lessen the problem of stringing, which can cause a weakened seal on the box.

If you have any questions about how to reduce the impact of winter weather on your hot melt system, please reach out to a technical rep at sales@ussefl.com.

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Remote Buying & Troubleshooting is the New Reality

After the world shut down in 2020, then slowly started to reopen, it became clear that certain job roles no longer needed to be in an office and could work from home. For the packaged goods industry, that impacted purchasing agents. Now, as maintenance managers run the floor and manage the inventory, purchasing agents are at home trying best to communicate the company needs to suppliers. Realizing the potential that purchasing departments might rely on supplier websites, here at Universal Systems, we focused on updating our website and making sure that there are competitor OEM cross reference numbers easily searchable throughout the site. We also have sales reps that can handle almost any product question and return quotes within 24 hours.

Another impact the pandemic has had on the packaging industry is workforce. There might not be as many skilled and experienced engineers on the floor to troubleshoot issues as they arise. As a manufacturer, we have also experienced setbacks with sending technical reps out to facilities to help them troubleshoot. In an effort to virtually help our customers, we provided YouTube videos on how to set up our ProBilt line of tanks, how to program our control boards and how to set temperatures. We also have several very skilled engineers in house that can walk customers through any issue they may be experiencing. We’ve found ourselves utilizing technology more and more for troubleshooting. Since less techs are allowed in facilities, we have started doing virtual meeting via Facetime or through texting photos. Both have shown to be pretty effective.

Hopefully, one day soon, we get back to workers being allowed to be in the office to physically check inventory and see what they need to order. But until then, we will continue to help our customers as much as we can remotely. If you have any hot melt questions, please feel free to reach out to sales@ussefl.com.

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