Adhesives and sealants specialist Henkel has launched under its various brands a series of products that are economical and provide strong advantages for the purposes used.
The new offerings including two hotmelt adhesives under the Technomelt brand meet the packaging industry’s criteria of high-yield, productivity and long-term availability.
Technomelt Supra 145 and Technomelt Supreme are compelling products affording low consumption values as well as improved flowability in automatic application systems. Both products make use of a new raw material base, which offers the customer a broader spectrum of products, greater choice and enhanced flexibility.
Compared to conventional hotmelts, Technomelt Supra 145 has a much higher thermal stability and flows more evenly without stringing or signs of cracking. Moreover, its self-cleaning properties ensure excellent processability. The low stickiness of the granules furthermore improves flowability in automatic application systems. Another advantage of the new Supra 145 is its high-heat stability, which allows packaging to be transported safely, even in warm regions.
Building on the worldwide success of the Technomelt Supra product line, Technomelt Supreme represents a new generation of hotmelt adhesive products. In contrast to conventional products in granule form, Technomelt Supreme is crystal clear and offers not only an impressive performance but also a unique appearance. Low consumption values in addition to outstanding thermal stability and adhesion are among the product attributes of Technomelt Supreme. This innovative hotmelt adhesive furthermore has high-heat resistance and excellent cold flexibility, thereby allowing it to be used in packaging for both warm-fill contents and deep-freeze goods.
Bonding assured
Henkel as a systems provider for medical engineering lately developed the brand-new Loctite AssureCure system. The revolutionary technology combines a newly developed Loctite adhesive with a new monitoring system. This promises to provide a hitherto unrivalled level of reliability and precision in the curing of light cure adhesives as the basis for perfect bonding.
Light cure adhesives are used for a wide range of medical items, such as syringes, catheters, blood filters or cannulas. The technology enables to speed production processes while producing aesthetically pleasing, clear bondlines. Henkel has now introduced a new technology designed to quantitatively and cost-effectively assess the degree of cure of light cure adhesives. A simple in-line process, the Loctite AssureCure System includes a new adhesive technology, fibre optic light sources, a light detector unit and software that ties into the users’ PC or PLC.
The Loctite AssureCure Monitoring System is designed to detect, measure, analyse, record and provide a degree of cure metric relative to the transition of specially formulated adhesives from a liquid to a solid (cured). Results can be displayed numerically, corresponding to the degree of cure, or as a pass/fail measurement. Once integrated into a production line, the Loctite AssureCure system provides a reliable, quantitative measurement of the adhesive cure in less than one second. Directly correlated to the strength build of the adhesive, the measurement system provides assurance that the adhesive has cured completely and reached the desired strength for the target application.
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An easy-to-use PC-based interface allows
one to use the Loctite AssureCure
equipment and Assure Cure
Adhesive to detect the degree
of cure of the adhesive |
By confirming that the adhesive used to bond the components has cured, the innovative system provides a reliable, in-line, non-destructive method. In particular, it offers significant value to manufacturers through an in-line quality check on 100 per cent of production parts and reduces extensive in-process quality checks and associated scrap components. The new system easily integrates into existing production lines downstream of the light curing operation and provides an immediate, non-destructive analysis of all bonded assemblies measured. Loctite AssureCure equipment is positioned directly after a production line’s existing light cure equipment and provides assurance that the adhesive has cured completely and reached the desired bond strength for the target application.
The matching Loctite light cure adhesives can be provided in a range of viscosities, physical properties and package configurations.
Quick frame bonding
The photovoltaic industry is striving to increase productivity while lowering manufacturing costs. With a new generation of elastic adhesives and sealants based on silane-modified polymers, Henkel is now making it possible to attain significantly higher process speeds during automated frame bonding of crystalline solar modules.
Unlike conventional adhesive and sealant systems, the new products Terostat MS 500 and Terostat 2K Ultrafast have a high initial bond strength and thus substantially reduce the dwell times in the production line. Terostat MS 500 even eliminates the waiting time that is normally required until handling strength is reached. This results in substantial cost savings. In addition to primerless adhesion to glass, metal and plastics, the elastic adhesives from Henkel also have excellent UV, temperature and weathering resistance. Compared to fastening with adhesive tapes, these products offer convincing advantages as they are much easier to handle in the manufacturing process. Work steps such as regular reel changing or disposal of release paper are a thing of the past.
The elastic adhesives and sealants also offer advantages in terms of design and construction as they are capable of compensating for tolerances in the laminate or the frame, which reduces the risk of modules becoming detached from frames. Providing high-quality full sealing, they also assure long life of the solar modules. By sealing off all joints and edges, they effectively prevent the penetration of moisture and thus enhance the efficiency of the module during its service life.
Henkel’s MS technology contains no solvents, isocyanates or silicone. The patented Terostat MS 500 is based on silane-modified polymers and exhibits high initial bond strength directly after joining. This sag-resistant one-component adhesive is applied warm and crosslinks by reacting with atmospheric moisture to form an elastic product. By contrast, the two-component product Terostat 2K Ultrafast already cures at room temperature. Crosslinking begins as soon as the two components have been thoroughly mixed, irrespective of moisture levels.
Mould-free sealing
Poor sealing of ventilation systems in buildings results in rising energy costs and the formation of mould. Air ducts are often constructed using pre-manufactured rubber compression gaskets to seal the transitions between the individual elements. Over time, however, these gaskets lose their elasticity and become brittle. As they shrink, their sealing effect decreases, leaving cavities in which mould can form.
Henkel now offers a significantly more durable alternative with its Terostat 285 sealant based on butyl rubber. Thanks to its completely new formulation, the sealant has built-in protection against damaging mould attack, which substantially reduces the need for later maintenance. In addition, the plastic butyl sealant has a self-welding capability, which allows it to fill cavities and compensate for tolerances, whereas classic rubber gaskets relax over time and lose their insulating properties. Irrespective of the design involved, Terostat 285 can be applied directly to the construction element – either extruded hot or as a pre-cut profile. The one-component sealant is highly tacky, has high initial bond strength and is suitable for sealing nearly all metal and plastic materials.
Sealants with new properties offer advantageous design possibilities in numerous industrial manufacturing processes. One such sealant that is especially suitable for use in refrigeration equipment is Terostat 301. In these applications the first heat-conductive butyl sealant from Henkel replaces classic heat-conductive pastes to improve heat exchange between the inner housing and the heat exchanger.
The product has a heat conductivity rating of approx. 0.8 W/mK. At the same time it also provides durable fixing of the coils to the refrigerator housing – unlike heat-conductive pastes which require an extra step to fix the coils using adhesive tapes or screw-fasteners. Terostat 301 is highly tacky and adheres to nearly all materials. For processing, the product is heated to 120 to 140°C and can then be applied automatically at high speed. The sealant develops its full performance characteristics directly after application. In other words, no curing time is required. In addition to its use in refrigerators, Terostat 301 can also be employed in sanitary applications or heating systems, where it can improve the heat transfer to thermostats or sensors.
Ablestik C100 products
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Henkel’s new conductive die attach
film, shown here in roll format and
on a wafer, enables the use of thinner
die for leadframe packages |
The latest in a series of recent materials innovation successes, Henkel Electronics announced the development and commercial availability of its Ablestik C100 series conductive die attach films. With relatively few, if any, conductive die attach films on the market until now, the launch of this material advance effectively establishes the benchmark for conductive die attach
film solutions.
Available in two formulations, – Ablestik C130 and Ablestik C115 supplied in 30 micron and 15 micron thicknesses, respectively – Henkel’s conductive die attach films now enable leadframe package manufacturers to realise the advantages film-based products have over traditional paste die attach products. Among the established benefits are the elimination of die tilt, the ability to process thinner die and facilitation of greater bondline control – all of which allow for improved processability, higher yields and better long-term reliability.
The development of Ablestik C100 die attach films is a huge leap forward for the leadframe package sector. Film simply provides incomparable process control and reliability and now those advantages are no longer limited to non-conductive processes, but are available for applications that require conductive materials as well.
Ablestik C100 series film die attach materials also provide a high degree of manufacturing latitude, as their workability has been established on die sizes ranging from 1 mm x 1 mm up to 6 mm x 6 mm for a variety of package types including both QFNs and QFPs. In addition, the materials’ better wetting ability with lower bonding temperature provides extremely stable adhesion strength, allowing robust adhesion against moisture and MSL Level 2 performance on all leadframe surface finishes.
As wafers continue to get thinner, leadframe packaging specialists will require die attach film alternatives to provide processing support and stability. Ablestik C100 materials deliver this essential process control element in combination with a bevy of other advantages.
Technomelt Supra 145 significantly reduces adhesives consumption
