PRODUCTS FASTENINGS & ADHESIVES A CLEAN, QUICK AND EFFICIENT SOLUTION


A retail sign manufacturer was using a high-viscosity silicone rubber adhesive (RTV) to bond aluminium letters to PVC sign boards. However, the thick bond lines and slow curing speed were causing aesthetic issues and slowing production. In addition to this, the low bond strength often resulted in letters falling off the boards. To fix the problem, LOCTITE 401 was


specified. Not only is this cyanoacrylate adhesive ideal for bonding small to medium-sized parts, but it is said


to provide fast cure speeds and excellent bond strengths on a wide variety of substrates. Fixture speed is just five seconds and a full cure is achieved in 24 hours. In the sign application, the adhesive proved successful because it is formulated for


the assembly of difficult-to-bond materials requiring uniform stress distribution and high tensile and/or shear strength. The product provides for the rapid bonding of a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and elastomers, the company explains. For sign manufacturers, the adhesive means assembly is clean, quick and efficient and


its strength rating of 19,995 kPa (2,900 psi) means the durability of the bond is assured. According to the company, LOCTITE 401 only requires a few small drops on each


sign letter and light hand pressure to apply. Of further benefit, it is suitable for bonding to porous materials such as wood, and the sign manufacturer’s scope of substrate choice is also extended. Thanks to the adhesive, the manufacturer has been able to produce an


aesthetically pleasing product, maximised production output, lowered overall manufacturing costs and boosted throughput.


Henkel www.henkel-adhesives.co.uk SPECIALIST PARTS SERVICE


FOR COMPONENT SOURCING Fastening supply chain service expert TFC has expanded its global sourcing capabilities to make it easier for its customers to access parts from high-quality specialist suppliers. This means manufacturers can pass the challenge of sourcing and stocking bulk order custom-produced components to TFC. The components can be delivered just in time to production lines, to improve processes, increase efficiency and reduce overheads. “It’s no secret that the pandemic and Brexit has caused disruption to UK supply chains,” explained Morgan Burgoyne, CEO of TFC. “Because of this, we’ve found more and more customers are searching for, and asking us about, custom parts. “2021 is an


opportunity for


British manufacturers to go back to their best. Manufacturing businesses are looking for new ways to overcome old problems. Our customers have simplified their processes by opting for a vendor managed inventory (VMI) supply chain approach, as well as reducing their overheads by outsourcing their machine shop production. “VMI sees a partner company essentially become a stockist


of components, including specialist parts if necessary. The VMI partner can stock a minimum of two months ahead, enabling easy scaling up and down of production, ensuring continuity of supply, and saving time and money on sourcing and administration.”


TFC 2 MAY 2021 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS 4 www.tfc.eu.com / DESIGNSOLUTIONS


INVESTMENT IMPROVES THREAD-LOCKING SOLUTION


Accu has invested over £13,000 on specialist equipment to improve the speed and quality of its in-house thread locking solution. In the 12 months to January 2021, Accu applied AccuLock – its anti-corrosion thread locking patches – to more than £1million-worth of screws, an average of 77 products per hour. This figure is set to increase threefold. The new equipment is able to patch multiple screws


per minute, and has increased Accu’s throughput by 360%, meaning that customers will not experience longer lead times as demand increases. It has also improved quality, accuracy, efficiency and OTIF, and has resulted in cost savings of approximately £20,000 per year. Antony Kitson, co-founder, said: “Recent industry figures


from the CBI indicate a general feeling of optimism in the manufacturing sector with many firms planning to raise their spending in the coming months. The tax super- deduction on outlay in machinery and equipment makes it an attractive time to purchase, and our aim is to support firms as they embark on new projects and investments.”


Accu www.accu.co.uk


AUTOMATING ADHESIVE PROCESSES


To help manufacturers automate multiple adhesive processes on one machine, Intertronics has introduced the archytas series of robotic integrations. Each cell is specified and built to a customer’s requirements. The archytas series typically includes


a robot and is suitable for applications demanding accurate and repeatable dispensing, surface preparation, metering and mixing, UV curing and other processes. They involve equipment from different manufacturers, chosen from Intertronics’ equipment partners, integrated into a bespoke cell that is designed, developed and implemented with the customer. During specification, Intertronics will consider the customer’s needs in detail,


assessing all parts of the process including part size, quantity, tooling, jigging, material feed, real-time feedback, vision-based programming and fiducial auto- adjustment, dispensing tip alignment and more. As part of the integration, operating systems are combined into clear control


panels to simplify operation. Health and safety is assured with custom interlocked enclosures and guarding to safeguard personnel from moving parts, UV irradiation or other hazards. The systems are designed and built in such a way that they can be easily adapted or have different equipment or capabilities added in future. “An archytas series system can cover everything from a simple dispensing


application to automate a manual process, all the way up to a sophisticated camera-led system that combines several actions and abilities,” explained Kevin Cook, technical manager at Intertronics. “However, it does not have to be a revolution – together with our customers, we can devise a step-by-step plan, taking a modular approach with little redundancy, so manufacturers can gradually improve their processes. This can help provide a more straightforward return on investment calculation and futureproof the approach.”


Intertronics www.intertronics.co.uk


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