RTD Sensors
RTD Sensors (resistance temperature detectors) are used in hot melt packaging systems because of their precision in sensing and proportioning temperature. They consistently maintain a temperature control stability of +/- 1-degree Fahrenheit. With the ever-increasing price of adhesive, it is important that RTD sensors are used in all of Universal Systems’ hot melt hoses and glue applicators for steady adhesive application. When combined with USSE’s patented AccuScan™ solid-state control system, RTD sensors provide precise bead uniformity for all of our ProBilt™ applicators.
Since RTD sensors are so key to the adhesive application process, it is important to check them first whenever you notice glue inconsistencies. If you see that your glue bead is not sticking properly or getting clogged, it could be caused by inconsistent glue temperature. There are several causes of inconsistent glue temperature. For example, if your tank operators are opening the cover to add glue, that will cause a temperature change. RTDs control that process, by notifying the heater to turn on and run longer when those situations occur. If your RTD is weak, then the heater will not be able to maintain steady temperature. It is the easiest, most overlooked and one of the least expensive components in your application process, but is worth it’s weight in glue!
When it comes to understanding the components that make up your adhesive application system, we believe that knowledge is power. So, if you have any questions, or think that you may be having issues with your RTD sensor, do not hesitate to call Universal Systems at (800) 848-5018 to speak with one of our technicians. We can walk your line operator through testing RTD sensors and how to switch them out correctly and safely.
How to Keep Old Melters Operable
Do you have an old series 2300 or 3000 melter that you are still using but need to find parts for? If you do, your packaging line is running a melter that is 15 – 20 years old. That means that your line operators are maintaining your packaging lines well and spending money in the right areas to keep efficiency and durability a priority. With that said, not everything will last forever. While you can probably keep the control panels of the 2300 or 3000 melter, some of the internal and exterior parts may need to be replaced. The reality is that Nordson® no longer supports these tanks. However, Universal Systems SE does. Universal Systems SE manufactures pumps, filters, hoses, guns, modules and nozzles that are compatible with your old melters.
Pneumatic Pumps
The first thing to go on your old melter, will most likely be your pump. Once that stops working, it will become very clear that your OEM no longer manufactures replacements for that part. So now you have to decide between purchasing a new melter from them for $15,000+, or trying to replace your pump. Universal Systems SE manufactures new series 2300 and 3000 pumps for a fraction of the price of a new Nordson® melter. Check out our full line of pneumatic pumps.
Actuator
If you have experience with rebuilding pumps, Universal Systems also manufactures the pump shifter and fork for the ProBilt™ series 2300 and 3000 pumps. This is another item you will not be able to find with the OEM because it has been discontinued.
Tank Filters
Since your series 2300 or 3000 melters have been operating on the line for so many years, your line operators probably change out the tank filters frequently. As the years have gone by, you may find it more difficult to find reasonably priced, or readily available tank filters. Universal Systems manufactures the tank filter assemblies, filter cores and filter screens to fit your series 2300 and 3000 melters.
Same Footprint
If you have gone through all of the steps to fix the problem with your old melter and find out that it is the control panel, which has been discontinued, Universal Systems SE has a solution for that as well. Our ProBilt™ melters have the same footprint and dimensions as your current series 2300 or 3000 melter. That means that your NEW ProBilt™ melter, that comes with a 10-year heater warranty, will fit right in where your old melter comes out.
For more information or to contact a technician that can help you troubleshoot issues with your old melter, call (561) 272-5442 or email sales@ussefl.com.
Managing Your Glue Usage in Packaging
Hot melt adhesive is not cheap and you may notice that the prices are only going up. What purchasing agents might not know, is that a lot of packaging lines are using more glue than is actually needed. There are a few simple ways to manage your actual glue usage and help cut costs to manage your budget.
Nozzle Diameter
The first step in managing your glue usage, is knowing the diameter nozzle tip you are using in your packaging lines, and understanding why you are purchasing that size. A lot of times, our sales reps will get calls from customers that want to buy larger size nozzle tips because their line operators are saying there is not enough glue being released on the cartons. Obviously, as you increase your nozzle tip diameter, the more glue you are going to use overall and increase your yearly costs for adhesive. This can also cause several other issues, such as potential sealing issues if the hot adhesive does not have enough time to dry as it moves along the cartoner. If your line operators are asking for larger diameter nozzles, question them as to why.
Evaluate Set-up
If your line operators are stating that the glue is not keeping the packaging closed, which is why they need larger nozzles, evaluate your setup. Check the distance your gun applicator is to your carton and at what temperature you are heating your adhesive. If the adhesive is not hot enough and your gun is too far away from the application site, the adhesive could be cooling before it even hits the carton which is why it is not creating a tight seal. Simply increasing your heating temperature or moving your gun applicator closer to the end application site could solve this issue. You could also be putting down too much glue already. If you have a high-speed packaging line, and put down too much glue, the speed will not allow time for the large amount of glue to dry.
Change Your Filters
Another simple solution to managing your glue usage, is to check both your tank and gun filters. If your nozzles are clogging frequently, causing the line operators to buy larger diameter nozzles, they may be clogging due to char. Char is a typical occurrence in hot melt packaging, but the transfer of most char can be prevented by regularly changing your tank and gun filters. These filters will extend the life of both your modules and nozzles.
For more information or tips on how to increase your packaging line efficiency and lower your costs, call a Universal Systems representative at (561) 272-5442 or email us at sales@ussefl.com.
Melt Rate vs. Pump Rate
When purchasing a hot melt adhesive system, it is important to know your desired melt rate and pump rate. It is also important to understand the difference.
All Universal Systems SE ProBilt™ tanks are equipped with a 14:1 ratio pneumatic pump assembly. Pneumatic pumps are most common and have a maximum pump rate of 75 lbs. per hour. No matter what the tank capacity is, whether it is 12 lb., 15 ob., or 20 lb., the pump will max out at 75 lbs. If you need to pump more adhesive then that per hour, you will need to transition to a gear pump system with a larger tank capacity.
The melt rate is the rate at which the tank will melt the adhesive you put into the reservoir. This is where the tank capacity comes into play. Before moving forward with any hot melt adhesive system, first you need to understand how many pounds you need to melt per hour. The melt rate is dependent on how many hoses and gun applicators you are running and how many boxes are sealed per minute on your packaging line. The most common tank capacity is the 20 lb. (10 Liter) ProBilt™ 20, with a melt rate of 23 lbs. per hour. If you are only running one line with one hose and gun applicator, then you may only need the 15 lb. (7 Liter) Probilt™ 15 which melts 18 lbs. per hour.
A common misconception is that the on-demand autofill system, the ProBilt™ Phoenix, will have a larger melt rate and pump rate. That is incorrect. The tank capacity on any auto fill system is the same as a regular tank such as the ProBilt™ 20. However, the advantage to the auto fill is that the line operators will not have to watch the adhesive level in the tank as closely. The vacuum system connected to the tank will sense when the adhesive level is low and automatically fill the tank. This helps eliminate dry running and pumps will last longer. However, the pump rate on this system will still max out at 75 lbs. per hour.
For additional information about melt rate and pump rate on all of our ProBilt™ tanks, please call (561) 272-5442 or email sales@ussefl.com.
Piston Pump Troubleshooting
There are several things that can cause a piston pump to stop working. The most common reason is that it is clogged. Unfortunately, not all line operators take the time to close the lid on a glue tank. With a lot of carton dust in the air at any facility, this dust gets into the glue pot and melts in with the glue. When the pump shifter runs to pump the glue from the pot into the hose, that carton dust gathers around the pump which can cause it to seize. The simple solution to this is to make sure that all shift line operators are diligent about closing the tank covers, that’s why they are on there.
If carton dust is not your issue, and the pump fails, below are a few other possible causes and the corresponding solutions.
- Adhesive not sufficiently heated – check the tank temperature and required melt temperature of your adhesive and set accordingly.
- Inadequate or no input air to pump – increase the air pressure from the plant air supply and see if the pump will run.
- Dry running – when a tank drops below a certain adhesive level in the pot, the pump does not have enough glue to operate at full capacity. The glue that runs through the pump acts as a padding so that the shifter does not pound against the top and bottom of the pump itself. When that padding is less, the pounding shifter can cause damage to the magnets and create an issue with the shifter. The only solution to this is to get a new shifter and potentially invest in an auto fill on-demand system that fills the glue into the tank for you, leaving less pressure on the line operators to fill the pot.
- No Tank Screen or Clogged Tank Screen – the tank screen lives at the bottom of the tank and is the first line of defense against any foreign debris getting into the pump. Sometimes the tank screen gets removed or never cleaned. That can cause debris build up and seize your pump. It is easily cleaned by lifting out of the empty tank and then cleaning the tank with Purge Plus™.
- Clogged Tank Filter – the tank filter screws into the side of the tank and filters the glue after it leaves the tank. If the tank filter is clogged, then the adhesive will back up in the pump, causing the pump to seize.
- Pump solenoid is not on – if the tank is not within 35 degrees of the setpoint temperature on the control panel, the pump solenoid will not turn on. Check the setpoint temperature and make sure it is correct. If the setpoint temperature is correct and reading properly, then it might be a failed solenoid that needs to be replaced.
If you go through all of these troubleshooting steps and still have an issue with your pump, please call (561) 272-5442 or email sales@ussefl.com.
How to Prevent Your Glue from Stringing
One of the most common issues that many packaging line operators experience with their adhesive melter is stringing. Stringing is when the adhesive is applied to the box, but before the flaps are closed on the cartoner, the glue starts to dry and string like cotton candy floating through the air.
There are a couple of fixes for this issue. Whether you are using a straight, right angle or swirl pattern nozzle, try moving the applicator gun closer to the box flap where you are applying the adhesive. The stringing could be caused because it is travelling too far of a distance from the applicator gun to the box. The shock from hitting the cooler factory air could be causing it to lose viscosity and start drying before it even hits the box. Not only will that cause stringing, that might also compromise the integrity of the glue hold on your product packaging.
Another cause of stringing glue could be temperature. Every adhesive is different and each one might require a different melt temperature. In order to keep the adhesive a consistent viscosity, make sure that the temperature on your glue tank and applicator guns are set correctly per the adhesive requirements. If the adhesive is too viscous then you might need to increase the tank temperature or change to an adhesive with a lower viscosity. If your tank temperature is correct, but your guns are not hot enough, then the glue could start to cool while travelling from the tank to the applicator gun. In this scenario, you would see that the thickness of the glue as it leaves the nozzle. Some line operators might try fixing the issue by putting a larger diameter nozzle on the module, which could be a temporary fix, but the real issue could be the temperature setting on the gun. Simply increase the gun temperature as needed to ensure a smooth, consistent adhesive flow.
There could also be an issue with the adhesive you are using on your packaging line. Like many products, if the adhesive is too old, has been sitting for too long, or has been heated and cooled too many times, this could cause stringing. We recommend that you drain all old adhesive from your tank, clean the tank with a cleaner such as Purge Plus™, and refill with fresh adhesive.
Universal Systems SE recommends trying to correct stringing if it is happening to your packaging line. Some line operators may think it is not that big of an issue, or they might blame the adhesive manufacturers, when in fact it could be a simple and important fix.
For more information or technical support to help you better understand how to fix your stringing glue, please call Universal Systems SE at (561) 272-5442 or email sales@ussefl.com.
Nozzle Engagement
Nozzle engagement is rarely discussed because not many people understand what it truly is. Well, it’s simple, nozzle engagement details the length of the orifice hole. This means that engagement length will impact the flow of adhesive from the module onto the package. So as the engagement increases, making the length of the nozzle orifice longer, the flow of adhesive will decrease. For example, if a nozzle’s specifications are .018″ diameter x .075″ engagement, it means that the length of the .018″ diameter orifice is .075″ in length.
There are a few other key factors, along with engagement, to consider when understanding hot melt adhesive nozzle applicators. Review all of these in order to deliver the correct amount and pattern of glue for the products you are gluing.
Gluing pattern: Choose from bead, slot or spray pattern, depending on your application
Number of orifices: Single or multiple for adequate coverage
Style of gun: Verify that the nozzle you are choosing is compatible with your gun
Nozzle angle position: Straight or right angle are the most common, but make sure whatever you need suits your application gluing process
Orifice diameter: .008” for reduced flow up to .040” for high flow
Engagement: The length of orifice channel — nozzle seat to nozzle tip
For more information on nozzle engagement, please call (800) 848-5018 or email sales@ussefl.com. Universal Systems SE is offering FREE nozzle cleaning kits through the end of June for new clients. Take advantage of this free gift when you order 20 or more nozzles.
