The Intertronics Blog

In the scientific community, particularly in universities, THINKY Mixers are becoming more prominent as a way to mix challenging liquids, pastes, and powders in research into nanotechnology, batteries, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and many more applications. A simple Google Patents search for “THINKY” demonstrates the huge number of technology and scientific breakthroughs that relied on the abilities […]

Robots are good for productivity, and if you’ve come to the conclusion that you can achieve a good return on investment through a robot purchase, you may find yourself wondering where to start with robot selection. We wrote a quick list of things to consider in our post How to specify a dispensing robot. Having […]

SCIGRIP® SG800 High Temperature MMA Methyl Methacrylate Adhesive is a two component structural adhesive for bonding metals, as well as composites and plastics. Designed to withstand temperatures up to 150°C over prolonged periods, SCIGRIP SG800 is suitable for applications like under the bonnet engine bay component assembly and metal bonding prior to paint baking cycles. It displays good strength […]

I saw a newsletter article which said that fluorescent animals are much more common than previously thought. Researchers who studied 125 mammal species, including cats, bats, polar bears and wombats (pictured), found that all of them showed some form of fluorescence, and that 86% had fur which actually glowed under UV light. This picture is […]

Medical device manufacturers are increasingly turning to specialist plastics formulated to resist harsh chemicals and survive environmental end use conditions such as sterilisation. However, the properties that allow these materials to withstand such conditions can also make them difficult to bond with adhesives. Here Kevin Brownsill, our Head of Technical: Learning and Development, shares guidance […]

The IUV101 Medical Kit contains everything a manufacturer needs to start working with UV curing adhesive technology for medical device bonding, including three widely used adhesives in 10 ml syringes, alongside the IUV101 LED UV Spot Lamp for Handheld UV Light Curing. This device has a powerful 2,000 mW/cm2 light intensity, which users can focus on […]

We have joined Oxfordshire-based business network, B4 as a PLATINUM Member. The move allows us to interface with senior business leaders in Oxfordshire, share expertise, advise on best practice, and discuss how to tackle the business challenges of the future. B4 actively connects the leading people from Oxfordshire-based business who value being part of a […]

We’ve partnered with SCIGRIP to distribute its methyl methacrylate adhesives (MMAs) in the UK. MMAs are fast curing, two-part structural adhesives that cure on mix at room temperature to form resilient bonds. They are ideal for structural bonding of metals, plastics, and composites in industries like marine, transportation, rail, automotive, and many others. MMA technology […]

Polyurethanes are polymers composed of organic units joined by urethane links. They are used to make rigid and flexible foams, and also used to make varnishes and coatings, adhesives, potting compounds, and fibres.  Their most common application is in foams, which makes up around two thirds of all polyurethane use. Globally, 6% of polyurethane use […]

Formulators of potting materials for aerospace electronics applications are careful not to supply products with entrapped air. Consequently, entrapped air is usually a processing issue which can compromise thermal conductivity and heat dissipation, or the electrical insulation properties. Voids and delamination can also provide pathways for moisture and other contaminates, weaking the physical structure. If […]

A shout out to Ed Harrison, a student at University of Birmingham. In the summer of 2022, the Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE) internship programme provided internships for undergraduate students to undertake paid eight-week placements with battery researchers from partner universities, and Ed was a part of this programme. His poster on Making and Testing […]

Venta Global is a tier one supplier of lighting solutions to vehicle and machinery manufacturers, offering a complete service from custom design to delivery. It has made significant investment into new technology for its UK production facility in Hampshire that deskills processes to enable consistent and reliable results, removes inconsistencies due to operator variance, and […]

Big congratulations to James Heydon, Liam Rogerson, Joel Johnson and Grant Roche for picking up the Intertronics Award for Excellence at our recent bi-annual company meeting. Recognised for improving our packing and fulfilment process, the team made great strides in changing how we package, ship, and deliver your equipment and materials to your factory the very next […]

Potting is a common method to protect PCB assemblies, which involves filling an enclosure with a liquid material to protect the board and its electrical components. Depending on your application’s needs, there are a wide range of potting compounds available in a variety of formulations, including low density/lightweight, flame retardant, flexible, optically clear, and thermally […]

Approximately 200,000 people receive hip or knee replacements in England and Wales every year, and these are typically highly effective. Research from the University of Bristol found that eight out of ten knee implants and six out of ten hip replacements last up to 25 years. To ensure long term success, orthopaedic implants must be […]

The upcoming REACH training and certification requirements for users of diisocyanates are looming ever closer, impacting your use of many polyurethane adhesives in industrial applications. If you haven’t heard about this, read more here. Point-One Structural Polyurethane Adhesives are fast-curing two-part adhesives that form strong, durable bonds in as little as 10 minutes. They are […]

Having spent more than 30 years working with adhesives and protective materials in technology manufacturing, and with experience of thousands of applications, we have a wealth of knowledge to we want to share. In a bid to help grow your adhesives, dispensing, and curing technology knowledge, we are offering seminars which share our insights, helping […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) have not traditionally been seen as structural adhesives or “load-bearing” adhesives – in general, their lower performance in terms of moisture and operating temperature resistance will preclude them from many technology applications. But advances in chemistry are improving the functionality and so the versatility of CAs. If you’re seeking an adhesive for […]

Due to PTFE’s extremely low surface energy, it is difficult for materials to wet, and almost no materials or adhesives readily adhere to it. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon – yes, the non-stick stuff. However, plasma can be applied to alter the chemical groups on the surface, increase wettability and […]

Robots: the opportunities… or the risks? The application of adhesives, potting compounds, encapsulants or other liquids, fluids or pastes, is something that can often be readily automated with a dispensing robot. Manufacturers that are still performing these processes manually may be concerned about the potential risks of transforming their processes with automation. On the other […]

As of 24 August 2023, training is required for all professional and industrial users of polyurethane adhesives & sealant products with a total monomeric diisocyanate concentration of > 0.1%. New legislation on the use of polyurethane adhesives and potting compounds Following a review by the European Parliament, the REACH Restriction on aliphatic and aromatic diisocyanates (HDI, MDI, […]

The benefits of robotics are compelling to many manufacturers: improved productivity, efficiency, output, quality, and flexibility. They can also improve health and safety for employees and job satisfaction. The International Federation of Robotics World Robot Report in 2021 found that the UK has a robot density of 101 robots per 10,000 employees, far below the […]

We’re delivering a free seminar at the upcoming Engineering Solutions Live show, held on the 23rd of March, entitled Improving Adhesion and Bond Quality with Plasma Surface Treatment.   Cold plasma treatment can quickly activate and functionalise the surfaces of many difficult-to-bond substrates, including metals and plastics, whilst removing organic contaminants. This process improves the wetting […]

UV or ultraviolet light is part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, which also includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, X-rays, gamma rays – and of course, visible light. These different types of radiation are defined by their wavelengths or frequencies. Radio waves have the longest wavelengths, and gamma rays the shortest. By definition, what […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) are often dismissed when it comes to applications with moisture exposure, let alone involve full submersion. That was until our partners, Born2Bond, developed a new single-part, “instant” adhesive specifically suited for environments with high humidity. Born2Bond Aquafast is a low odour, low bloom, medium-viscosity CA that offers excellent adhesion to a variety […]

Kevin’s been at Intertronics for 15 years, having started in Sales and progressed into Sales and Technical management. Over this time, he’s developed a deep understanding of this specialised area, as well as built strong relationships with customers, and has taken responsibility for our Technology Centre. To help grow understanding of the selection and processing […]

Today we learned that the UK economy has escaped recession, albeit by the skin of its teeth, and… so far. I heard on the radio that the economy is “flatlining”, which has disturbing connotations if you are a cardiac surgeon, but just means here that the growth curve not going up or down. I visited […]

Bulk Tainer Logistics provides bespoke transport services for the shipment of bulk liquid products globally, operating a fleet of 12,000 chemical, feed, and food grade tank containers. To optimise the performance of its fleet, the company wanted to fit its tanks with smart monitoring devices that tracked the movement of the tanks and the condition […]

British surgeons are getting rather slapdash, according to The Knowledge. The number of “foreign objects” left inside patients after operations hit a record 291 in the year from 2021 to 2022, up from 156 two decades earlier. Swabs and gauzes are the most common items sewn up in patients, but scalpels and drill bits have […]

We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. Thank you for working with us during 2022. We are closed at 5pm on Thursday December 22 2022, and reopen again at 9am Tuesday January 3 2023 Each year we try and support some charity, especially ones which have some resonances […]

It has become a Christmas tradition at Intertronics for us to collect donations for the North Oxfordshire Community Foodbank, a local source of support for people struggling to put food on their tables. Our team members came good with a cornucopia of larder staples and treats, and we also accepted kind donations from people visiting […]

The benefits of robotics are compelling; improved productivity, efficiency, output, quality, and flexibility. In addition to their production benefits, they can also improve health and safety and job satisfaction for employees. However, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) World Robot Report in 2021 found that the UK has a robot density of 101 robots per […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) contain an acidic inhibitor which prevents them from curing in the bottle, instead allowing the adhesive to cure upon exposure to low-level surface moisture or alkalinity (see our Adhesive Problem? What’s the Cure? download for more information). With acidic substrates, this cure mechanism can be compromised. If you are working with a […]

The masking process at MTU Aero Engines, a leading German manufacturer of military and civil aircraft engines, used to involve tapes, silicone rings, masks and metal covers all manually fitted and applied by operators. So when production planner Thomas Kaltenecker discovered and implemented Dymax SpeedMask, a UV-curing temporary masking liquid, alongside an automated dispensing and […]

Let’s get started by talking about your application. This is a phrase you’ll see a lot around here, and it sums up our whole approach. We consider ourselves to be your adhesive-savvy team members, and we want to get stuck in to helping you create a product that you’re proud of, both in terms of […]

In applications where the adhesive is at least partly exposed (not completely interfacial), Born2Bond LightLock is worth evaluating. It is a hybrid cyanoacrylate adhesive that reacts to UV light to cure, making it a solid choice for bondline squeeze-out, electronics encapsulation or shallow potting, and bridge bonding applications like wire tacking. LightLock doesn’t require activators […]

A fundamental element of achieving the correct dose of UV light is ensuring the intensity of your UV curing lamp is understood. UV curing intensity as noted on a lamp’s data sheet is typically measured from a particular distance, so if your lamp is not set up to the same distance as the data sheet […]

We are pleased to be accredited and on the JOSCAR supplier register, offering our customers in the aerospace, defence and security industries the confidence of knowing that we meet their high standards of supplier conformance. Using JOSCAR can determine if a supplier is “fit for business”. JOSCAR (Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Registrar) is a collaborative […]

If your process involves dispensing materials like adhesives, inks, coatings, sealants, lacquers, paint, lubricants, or anything similar, our 25 Top Tips for Dispensing is worth a read – a collection of handy tips covering many dispensing applications which can help you fine-tune what you’re doing for optimal results. Covering dispensing pressures to types of dispensing […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives typically perform poorly in high humidity or wet conditions, but there are exceptions to this rule. If your finished product will be exposed to a moist environment, we recommend trying Born2Bond Aquafast cyanoacrylate adhesive. It offers the standard benefits of cyanoacrylates – quick cure speed, adhesion to a broad variety of substrates, and […]

When our colleague Darren‘s first aid course for volunteer rugby coaches found itself without a venue, Intertronics stepped in to provide space. We hosted a group of eight volunteer coaches, including Darren, from the Youth, Women, and Girls sections of the Gosford All Blacks Rugby Football Club. Gosford All Blacks are a local community club […]

LED UV curing lamps are swiftly gaining popularity as a replacement for mercury arc lamps. Their rise in use reflects their process benefits, such as instant on/off and consistent intensity for thousands of hours. In addition to these, there are environmental advantages at play, such as reduced energy consumption, decreasing a business’ carbon footprint, and […]

A bit of excitement around here as we have been listed as finalists in the Medical Product of the Year category at the 2022 Electronics Industry Awards. We have been recognised for releasing Dymax’ 2000-MW series of medical device materials – a range of medical wearable adhesives and encapsulants which help adapt wearables devices to […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) are renown for being thin, watery liquids. That is their nature. This doesn’t help when your bondline is wider than ideal, or varies into larger gaps. In these cases, you will want a CA which has an unusually higher, thicker viscosity – and these do exist. CAs are now available in a […]

The most hard-to-bond substrates and awkward areas are now treatable with low temperature, plasma surface treatment. Two new modules, released by Relyon Plasma for their popular piezobrush PZ3 and piezobrush PZ3-i plasma systems, expand the applications which can benefit from activating, functionalising, and cleaning to increase wetting and improve adhesion.   Needle Nozzle Cleaning and […]

For a medical device assembly adhesive which also provides the benefits of cyanoacrylate adhesive technology (e.g. single part, fast cure), we recommend you look at Born2Bond Light Lock. Light Lock passes ISO 10993 testing and is also a UV hybrid cyanoacrylate. The UV light curing aspect of Light Lock is useful for a bondline which […]

Founded in 2020, Wavecon specialises in cable solutions for subsea assemblies, offering a range of options from the supply of replacement cable harnesses and wired assemblies, through to fully designed and manufactured bespoke assemblies for specific applications.  From the outset, the company decided to build an end-to-end manufacturing process, using high quality equipment, machinery and […]

When it comes to the design and development of new products, and choosing an adhesive to bond them together, an adhesive supplier often finds themselves as the last port of call. This approach can leave you in a position where your list of requirements severely limits the adhesives suitable for your application. Bondline design, substrate […]

The majority of cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) have an operating temperature range up to 80ºC. If your application needs more temperature resistance, and you like the other advantages that CAs can offer, then adhere ADH9105 and adhere ADH9480 rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate adhesives both offer temperature resistance up to 125ºC, making them our most temperature-resistant CAs. Coming in […]

The latest issue of Med-Tech Innovation News is out, and we are delighted to have an article published in it. Seeing the light: New applications for light curable adhesives in medtech discusses some of the latest formulations of UV curing adhesives used for assembling wearable medical devices, as well as some ideas on adhesives which […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) — also known as “superglue” or instant adhesives — are a popular adhesive choice for many applications, both industrially and domestically. Curing at room temperature in seconds, they provide excellent bond strength on a wide range of similar and dissimilar substrates including metals, plastics, elastomers, ceramics, and porous materials. Achieving these throughput […]

“I am the Managing Director of an electronics CEM. We are making 1,000 potted electronics assemblies per week, regularly 200 per day. This is done manually by experienced operators. Pat is my best operator, she’s been with me the longest time. Some weeks, about 2.5% of these are rejected after potting. Each one costs £50, […]

Our partners at Born2Bond have been busy improving the functionality and sustainability of their cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs). As a result, Born2BondTM Ultra, the fastest-bonding MECA-based CA, now has “significantly improved” performance when used to bond metal substrates such as grit-blasted mild steel (GBMS) and aluminium. The metal bonding improvements can be seen across all viscosities […]

To improve the way recovery from injury and the progression of neurological/musculoskeletal conditions are monitored, the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) team at the University of Sheffield is developing a diagnostic glove that includes several flexible bioelectronic sensors. The sensors are formed from elastomers mixed with various conductive nano or micro particle […]

Attaining the near instant, ‘on demand’ bonding performance of UV adhesives and curing is now even easier with our IUV101 Starter Kit. Incorporating our popular IUV101 handheld LED UV spot curing lamp and three compatible multi-purpose LED UV curing adhesives in 10g syringes, you’ll be able to tackle a multitude of bonding projects as soon […]

Picture credit Getty Images/Dennis Oulds This weekend, I listened to the recent Desert Island Discs episode featuring the tennis champion Billie Jean King. Not only did Billie Jean King win 39 Grand Slam tennis titles (12 in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles), but also has been and remains a powerful […]

Do you know who this couple is? For years I have been using this picture to illustrate one of our presentations. It gets used all the time, and is shown in job interviews, to new colleagues, prospective suppliers, clients, customers, and anyone else we introduce the company to. The slide comes up when I talk […]

Being a fan of rugby for as long as I can remember, when the opportunity arose four years ago to coach the under 7’s team at my local rugby club, the Gosford All Blacks, I thought I’d give it ago. Since then, I’ve gone on to lead their schools and communities outreach programme which aims […]

To improve the accuracy, repeatability, and manufacturing speed of their key product line Kemio™, a water testing system utilising patented single-use sensor technology, Palintest came to us. Using electrochemical sensors, the product tests the concentration of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chlorite or peracetic acid in samples, giving a clear pass or fail mark in 60 seconds. Initially […]

We’re always finding new ways to minimise our environmental impact as a company, from biodegradable packaging, to paperless transactions, to eliminating single-use cups from our water coolers. Our company fleet has been steadily modernising to electric vehicles. To support this, and to encourage employees who may be considering the purchase of their own electric car, […]

Providing you with an easy and affordable way to automate plasma surface treatment, the Relyon Plasma piezobrush PZ3-i allows simple integration into semi-automated or automated production lines whilst giving you full control over all process variables ─ positioning, power, time, and input gas pressure ─ for a repeatable, controllable, and recordable process. The piezobrush PZ3-i is […]

  We are engluesiastic! I don’t have a written, precise definition for what that means, but I know it when I see it. It is often demonstrated by commitment to and promotion of our values. Here is a great example, a recent quote from a customer about our Strategic Accounts Manager, Paul Whitehead: “Intertronics were […]

A perk of working at Intertronics is a paid day off each year to volunteer for a good cause. As a man who likes to get stuck in to practical, hands-on work, Matt Baseley used his volunteer day this year to get lots of odd jobs accomplished at his children’s nursery. The nursery is a […]

“The ability to mask complex shapes in one application and cure quickly on demand has reduced work in progress, improved quality and increased throughput.” “We have managed to increase production four-fold and enjoyed faster manufacturing time, reduced labour costs, and a consistently high-quality result with no defects or wasted material.” “It has allowed us to […]

The Dymax 2000-MW series is a range of medical wearable adhesives and encapsulants which help adapt your wearables devices to industry trends and customer requirements. These materials are the first biocompatible, light-curable adhesive product line to be specifically formulated without common skin irritants and materials of concern for medical wearable and electronics applications. All adhesives […]

Thermally conductive materials are often used to enhance the dissipation of heat from an electronic device. They are used to fill the gaps between two or more elements, such as a microprocessor and heat sink, or a battery cell and its casing in electric vehicles. As well as aiding the transfer of heat, some thermally […]

To help you boost production speed, consistency, and reliability with LED UV curing, we’ve introduced the Dymax BlueWave® FX-1250 LED UV Curing Flood Lamp. The lamp can cure LED matched UV curable adhesives, coatings, and inks in seconds with high uniformity, high irradiance UV light. The combination of great uniformity, high intensity, and large curing […]

We are very clear in our belief that contributing to our community helps to provide meaning and significance to our business, and we are always looking for and happy to hear about opportunities to do just this. As we are pretty far from the ocean, what we didn’t expect to be able to help with […]

Dymax Ultra Light-Weld® 9501-F is a UV/Visible light-curing adhesive optimized for LED curing at 385nm designed for electric vehicle battery potting and bonding. This material provides a highly reliable bond for cylindrical cells to the base of the battery pack. This colourless adhesive contains no nonreactive solvents and will fluoresce blue upon exposure to low […]

UV curable adhesives grant significant manufacturing productivity benefits, curing in seconds, “on-demand” when exposed to UV light. With grades certified to ISO 10993 and USP Class VI stands available, they are also well-matched to the manufacture of medical devices. To fully realise the potential that this adhesive technology can bring, it is necessary to take […]

For years, we have helped our customers develop their production through evaluation and specification of new assembly materials and equipment at our Technology Centre, located in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Filled to the brim with mixing, surface treatment, dispensing, robots and curing equipment, along with a warehouse full of materials, our Centre allows us to help you […]

For automated or semi-automated applications involving preeflow’s range of precision volumetric dosing valves, which require the use of several different pre-programmed flow rates or shot sizes (or both), the preeflow eco-REMOTE can be used.   The eco-REMOTE is an interface between the preeflow eco-CONTROL control system and an external controller (e.g. a PLC). It allows the activation of […]

Hygroscopic materials attract and absorb humidity from the air. An example is the way granulated sugar gets lumpy in the sugar bowl or salt clumps in the salt shaker blocking the holes when in humid environments like a steamy kitchen. Lots of materials are hygroscopic, including paper, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and plastics like ABS. Nylon […]

There are a few considerations when specifying an adhesive for your application, such as how well it bonds your substrates and if it can meet the functional needs of your application. One other important piece of the puzzle are the time-based factors which dictate how materials can be processed.    Our technical white paper Adhesive selection: a race against the clock? walks you through the various time-sensitive factors at […]

It’s been 50 years since the USA softly landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s surface. Something Intuitive Machines, based in Texas, is looking to change. When sending expensive, often delicate, machinery and equipment into the depths of space, achieving the most reliable bonds between components is mission critical. For this very reason, Arnab Roy, Production […]

To aid the rapid development of a new deep-sea fishing device, sustainable fishing start-up SafetyNet Technologies (SNTech) reached out to us. In a close collaboration, SNTech specified two materials, Opti-tec™ 4210 and IRS 3071, and developed a reliable assembly process. The new device, Pisces Deep, has since passed pressure tests at 100 bar and is […]

Our team has been providing technical support, advice, and expertise since Intertronics began, some 40 years ago. We have been diligent in quickly answering your questions about prices, delivery, process enhancement, health and safety, and the upkeep of equipment you have bought from us years ago. During that time, you may have met some of […]

2.5 million. That’s the staggering number of food parcels handed out in the 12 months to April 2021 by the UK’s largest food bank charity. With a record number of households set to utilise these vital services over the festive break, the team at Intertronics are keen to play our part in supporting our local […]

We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. Thank you for working with us during the continuing challenge that was 2021. We are closed at 5pm on Thursday December 23 2021, and reopen again at 9am Monday January 4 2022 Each year at Christmas, we support charities which have […]

Dymax MD® 1040-M is a new, versatile autoclave resistant medical device adhesive, coating, and encapsulant. Resistant to numerous cycles of sterilisation, Dymax 1040-M is suitable for consideration in a range of medical devices and surgical tools. This light curable material cures in seconds on exposure to UV light, and contains no solvents, to deliver a […]

We have changed our packing tape to a paper-based version. We used to use plastic. We finally found something that’s paper-based and effective in protecting and packing your goods for shipment. We already use 100% recycled cardboard boxes and biodegradable infill. It’s a small thing, in the big scheme of things. But it adds up. […]

Honing in on your optimal dispensing process often comes down to a degree of trial and error – even experienced operators sometimes choose the wrong tip at first. Material rheology and dispensing behaviour can be surprising. To help you evaluate and establish your dispensing process, we have released the DCK800X dispensing component kit. Containing over […]

Dymax UV cure electronics encapsulants with secondary moisture cure resolve the challenge of encapsulating chip and component geometries which have shadowed areas under component bodies or leads. The bulk of the material cures in seconds with light, while the balance cures with ambient moisture. Light-curable formulations are becoming increasingly popular due to their significant benefits […]

Providing light where there was once darkness, lighting assemblies have been a staple in modern vehicle manufacture for decades. For many manufacturers, the search for brighter, better-performing systems has led them away from traditional bulbs and lamps towards more complex arrays of LED emitters, with lifespans in the 1000’s of hours. Keeping these assemblies protected […]

We were thrilled to open this month’s issue of Eureka magazine to find our article about liquid gaskets on page 27. Our colleague Matthew Baseley did a great job on this. You can read about the considerations of moving to this technology, away from solid preformed or stamped gaskets, including a discussion about return on […]

We fell upon on this article in The Sun today: Idiot Insulate Britain eco-mob using harmful superglue that’s TOXIC to environment to plaster themselves to roads. We are not habitual readers of this newspaper; perhaps this article is a good example why, as it is hyperbolic, hysterical, inaccurate and badly written. It does inspire us […]

As consumers increasingly prefer smaller, more portable, wearable electronic devices, assembling the intricate components can prove challenging. This challenge is further compounded when considering skin contact material requirements and the bonding issues these materials can pose. Fortunately for a wearable electronic device manufacturer, our Born2Bond™ Ultra HV was able to address their bonding challenges while increasing their […]

Dymax 9771 Dual-Cure Light and Moisture-Cure Conformal Coating is now available. This low outgassing material is the first conformal coating that meets ASTM E595 and MIL-STD 883 and is therefore suitable for the aerospace and defence markets in applications including missile, satellite, and space critical printed circuit board assemblies. This coating has UL 94 V-0 […]

Turning your THINKY planetary mixing machine up to 11 for a long period of time may mix most materials homogeneously, but for other, heat sensitive components, it could do more harm than good. To enhance your process understanding and help keep those mixing speeds optimal, our partner, mixing and degassing machine manufacturer THINKY, has created […]

When gas sensor manufacturer DD-Scientific wanted to improve the accuracy, repeatability, and productivity of an epoxy sealing process, they asked us. DD-Scientific now benefits from robot-mounted preeflow® eco-DUO precision metering, mixing and dispensing systems, which save the company 23 days of staff time per year, while maintaining the high-quality the company’s products demand. DD-Scientific’s sensors […]

Transforming multiple parts of liquids, pastes and powders into homogeneous, ready-to-use materials which are air and bubble free – that’s what our THINKY planetary mixers do. Our newly released Technical Bulletin Achieving a fast, repeatable mixing process without air bubbles summarises the capabilities of these machines: Planetary mixing Degassing Mixing under vacuum Which capabilities you […]

Will you be at the Med-Tech Innovation Expo this year? The show, which runs from 28-29 September 2021 at the NEC in Birmingham, will feature a short seminar from our Managing Director, Peter Swanson. Designing-in Light Curing Adhesives for Medical Device Assembly will present an overview of UV and visible light curing adhesives and what […]

Process speed and simplicity are just two of the many productivity benefits that light curing adhesives and coatings bring to the table. If this is a new process for you, or you are setting up production on a new product, then you will want to figure out how to get it working reliably and repeatably. […]

IRS 3078 Polyurethane Potting Compound is a semi-rigid, room temperature curing and electrically insulating black polyurethane potting compound. The material, which is low viscosity, semi-thixotropic and flowable, is available in convenient side-by-side double syringe cartridges. This packaging suits customers with smaller volume or occasional production needs. It offers high adhesion, good electrical insulation properties and […]

When mixing liquids, pastes and powders during an industrial process, you may identify issues that lead you to consider alternative methods. Common areas for improvement include variance due to a manual process, difficulty validating the process, or a high defect rate. You may also have productivity reasons to change your mixing processes, such as to […]

Application In today’s technologically-advanced world, consumers want products that are better, smarter and more intuitive to their needs. For brand owners and manufacturers, this means continuing to push the boundaries on innovative, increasingly-smaller devices that can give consumers new product options unlike anything they’ve seen before. The miniaturisation of devices can pose assembly and bonding challenges, […]

We have introduced IRS 2128 Toughened Epoxy Adhesive. This structural adhesive is a high-performance black resin system that offers good chemical resistance and excellent adhesion to a wide variety of substrates. Compared with many other epoxies, it offers vibration resistance and can bond dissimilar substrates more effectively. A two-part system with a simple 1:2 mix […]

We have introduced Dymax Low Shrink™ OP-81-LS UV adhesive, which offers very low volumetric shrinkage. Designed for optical assembly applications that require precise alignment, the material cures in seconds on exposure to UV/visible light. It is single-part, solvent free and can bond dissimilar substrates — it is recommended for materials including polycarbonate, glass, acrylic, metal, […]

Our latest White Paper, entitled Moving to UV LED Curing, the 365nm Myth – A Dance between Physics and Chemistry, discussed the assumptions around using UV LEDs to cure adhesives, coatings, sealants, encapsulants and temporary masking materials. Despite some hints on product data sheets, 365nm may very well not be the best wavelength to pick […]

Eureka is a very highly regarded engineering magazine, so we were excited to see a two-page spread in the latest issue given over to our article Plasma Aids Dental Bonding. See page 32 to read how cold atmospheric plasma technology delivers benefits in dental labs. It features the piezobrush PZ3, the world’s smallest, highly effective […]

Viscosity is the resistance of a fluid to flow. This means that different fluids with different viscosities will flow at different rates under the same force. The higher a viscosity a fluid has, the harder you have to push it to move it.  We call a higher viscosity fluid more viscous. You can see why […]

Our partners at THINKY, makers of planetary centrifugal mixers, have produced a video detailing how to use the THINKY ARV-501 vacuum mixer, with or without the vacuum mixing functionality. In this video, you can see how the user interface works, how to set up a program, and learn about the mixer’s PC interface:   The […]

Plasma surface treatment technology is well established in many manufacturing industries including medical devices, electronics, and automotive. In dental technology, several use cases have been developed, researched, and established to help dental technicians perform tasks more efficiently and achieve better results for patients. Plasma can initiate several physical and chemical processes that both clean and […]

3D printers usually print relatively small stuff – certainly less than 1 meter in any dimension. Our own 3D printer’s largest build dimension is 320mm, and that is fairly common. There are exceptions, of course – these days you can 3D print a two-story house. But for most applications, if you need to make a […]

A great article in Med-Tech Innovation News lists seven considerations for medical device design; it was written by Dan Purvis of Velentium, a company specialising in the design and manufacturing of therapeutic and diagnostic active medical devices. It’s worth reading the whole thing, but consideration number 5 caught our eye: Design with manufacturing in mind […]

An article in this week’s Electronics Weekly about the use of short-wave UV LED’s in the fight against Covid-19 contained this statement: “New international legislation which came into force in January 2020 means that mercury-based lamps are, with very few exceptions, no longer an option. The manufacture, import and export of mercury lamps is now […]

What makes a good adhesives partner? That’s a great question! We decided to answer it by getting a group of us together and thrashing it out. The results of our roundtable talk might surprise you. Please read the summary of our discussion, get some insight into the way we think, and see if you agree.

I was struck by an article today on the Industrial Technology website: European Manufacturing Breakthroughs Stifled by Overengineered Industrial Robots. The article quotes Torsten Christensen, partner and co-founder at ChangeForce, a Danish industrial consultancy firm. According to him, the most popular reason behind disappointing robotisation implementations is the complexity and over customisation of technologies installed.  […]

Flame-retardancy is a common requirement for materials used to make products that need to meet certain safety standards, such as home appliances, automotive systems, and electronics. A flame retardant is a chemical substance that is added to materials during their manufacturing process in order to both reduce the likelihood of the finished product catching fire and […]

One of our recently published White Papers discusses time-based considerations when specifying adhesives for any application. Not only are you looking for an adhesive that bonds well to your required substrates, but one which also meets the functional requirements of its application. In addition to these, there are also time-based considerations to factor in. Read […]

Selecting an adhesive One of the major considerations when specifying an adhesive is how quickly it will deliver return on investment (ROI), a metric that is affected by a variety of tangible and intangible factors. If you’ve ever tried to source an adhesive for your application, you probably realised quickly that there is no universally perfect […]

The latest issue of Global SMT & Packaging features our White Paper on the cover. Potting and encapsulating – avoiding voids was written by Paul Whitehead, our Strategic Accounts Manager. It discusses potting voids – what are they, why they are bad, and how to prevent them happening. Click through to read this issue, with […]

Congratulations! Our dispensing partner Viscotec, makers of preeflow, have announced that in 2020 they passed a milestone of supplying more than 100,000 dispensing pumps into industry, including 65,000 preeflow volumetric dispensing pumps. We have been providing these precision dispensers to manufacturers in the UK and Ireland for a decade now, and have facilitated their success […]

Jetting valves enable high-speed, continuous, non-contact dispensing of dots of small size, offering a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. During the jetting process, a small chamber is filled with material and ejected by firing a tappet through the chamber ― using either piezo or high energy pneumatics to achieve very fast tappet movement ― […]

Our latest White Paper tackles the issue of voids in potting compounds and encapsulation. Potting and encapsulating – avoiding voids was written by Paul Whitehead, our Strategic Accounts Manager. It discusses voids – what are they, why they are bad, and how to prevent them happening. If you are involved with electronics potting or encapsulation, […]

“The adhesive industry is the place to be for all the curious ones who want to deliver value!” One of our friends and colleagues, Robert Ignatzek, recently wrote this on LinkedIn. Robert is a 20 year veteran in the business, and an all round enthusiast for our sector. We responded to Robert, and he was […]

When you are experiencing poor productivity from an adhesives process, the first step to resolving the issue is to identify why — there are several common pain points, including speed, quality and waste. If you identify that a material is holding you back, what can you do to reach your productivity potential? Compared with mechanical […]

Encapsulants are often required to protect electronic components against moisture, chemicals, and rapid and extreme temperature changes while providing mechanical support and electrical insulation. Light-curable encapsulating compounds can provide significant benefits over conventional technologies, including very fast curing, lower operating costs and increased productivity driven by lower labour requirements, space savings, lower energy demand, and […]

The comfort, flexibility and connectivity of wearables have been made possible through progress in sensor technology, power management and transmitter technology; these advances in wearable technology require improvements to the production process. One important part of the assembly process is the dispensing of materials like adhesives, silicones, thermally and electrically conductive materials and greases. Dispensing […]

This year, we again asked all our colleagues to collect food and other vital supplies to be distributed by the North Oxfordshire Community Foodbank. Our elf, D Spencer, helped our team sort, pack and ship the haul over to the Foodbank. James manages this operation each year, and he does a great job. This year […]

We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. Thank you for working with us during the challenge that was 2020. We are closed at 5pm on Wednesday December 23 2020, and reopen again at 9am Monday January 4 2021. Each year at Christmas, we support charities which are either […]

Our customers sometimes want to take advantage of UV curing on large or complicated assemblies, where a bench-mounted UV curing lamp will not allow ready access to the target areas. Some examples which spring to mind are the bonding of large PMMA point-of-sale assemblies, or the temporary masking of turbine blades. You also want to […]

This new e-book from our partners Dymax is entitled Smart Connected Device Assembly – 7 Ways Light Curable Maskants Can Provide Protection. Covering seven different electronics assembly processes, including soldering, coating, and surface treatments, the benefits of uv light curable temporary masking products are clearly described. It is worth downloading a copy!

We are delighted to have the opportunity to join this Panel Discussion tomorrow. Potting, encapsulating and underfills are all essential procedures in the assembly process. With miniaturization makes accurate, void-free processing important to maintain adequate support, protection and reliability. The panel will discuss the do’s and don’ts of these processes, followed by a Q&A session. […]

If you are mixing ultra-critical applications where even micro-bubbles cannot be tolerated, you may need the latest industrial non-contact vacuum planetary mixer, the THINKY ARV-501CE. The unit has a maximum capacity of 700g for mixing, de-foaming and degassing  any combination of liquids, powders, and pastes. It is suitable for all engineering compounds, from low viscosity to […]

Dymax MD® 1172-M-UR is an LED UV and broad-spectrum light-curable adhesive for bonding COC/COP film laminates and other difficult-to-bond-to plastics used in the assembly of in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), Lab-on-a-chip (LOC), and other point-of-care medical devices. This adhesive may also be of interest to manufacturers involved with the design of COVID-19 rapid diagnostic applications. The adhesive […]

Dispensing and dosing small quantities (microlitres) with volumetric precision can be a headache for many companies in sectors such as electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace, medical device assembly and pharmaceuticals. Having to maintain accuracy whilst also meeting throughput and productivity demands may have traditionally pushed manufacturers towards complex, multi-system processes in order to achieve their […]

What is cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA) blooming, and what can you do about it? That is the subject of our latest White Paper, entitled Managing blooming in an adhesives process. The article discusses what is blooming, how it happens, and methods to reduce or eliminate it. Importantly, blooming does not affect the integrity of the adhesive […]

Adopting robotics for dispensing automation into your production process can contribute considerably to an increase in operational efficiency and productivity. As robotics technology advances, consistency and overall process control becomes ever more attainable and affordable. You may be surprised at how quickly return on investment can be achieved with dispensing robots, particularly when time savings, […]

Born2Bond two-part cyanoacrylate adhesives bring game-changing advancements to the world of adhesives, overcoming many of the performance and application limitations of existing cyanoacrylate adhesives. Born2Bond Structural is the toughest structural, fast cure two-part (2K) cyanoacrylate adhesive on the market, with the longest open time. Born2Bond Flex is the only two-part cyanoacrylate adhesive on the market […]

The mixing and dispensing of two-part potting compounds, encapsulants and similar products has to be one of the trickiest production processes to get under control. If you are looking to scale up or streamline your existing process, we are now able to offer the 2-K-DOS Metering, Mixing and Dispensing System. It is based on gear […]

Under European Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, materials such as silicones can be rated food-compliant where they are manufactured using practices that “under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they do not transfer their constituents to food in quantities which could endanger human health, bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or bring about […]

The latest September 2020 issue of Global SMT & Packaging (The Global Assembly Journal for SMT & Advanced Packaging Professionals) contains an article from us entitled Cold Plasma in Electronics Industry. Adhesion plays a decisive role for product quality and process stability in many areas of the electronics industry. These include bonding and marking of […]

This new White Paper, entitled Are cyanoacrylate adhesives structural?, looks at the role of cyanoacrylate adhesives in load-bearing, structural applications. It discusses a new development which repositions this chemistry in the hierarchy of adhesives. Click on the image to read the full article. We have this White Paper and many other technical resources, including articles, […]

The best available option. That’s not the same as perfect. The best available option is always available. Perfect almost never is. Adhesive choice is always about compromise. Worthwhile debates: ultimate adhesive functionality versus process-ability the cost of the adhesive versus the cost of processing it the robustness of the adhesive versus rework-ability or end-of-life recycling The perfect […]

Wacker’s SILPURAN 4200® medical-grade silicone adhesive is a single-part transparent, room temperature vulcanising (RTV) silicone adhesive that is suitable for bonding cured silicone parts and highly elastic bonding between silicone and textiles, such as in ventilation masks and respiratory bellows. Formulated with a new catalyst which does not use organotin compounds, SILPURAN 4200 is ISO […]

Anthony Scala, a London-based glass artist and instructor, takes on repair work for glass pieces ranging from sentimental value to more significant worth. In order to complete repairs in a timely manner, Anthony sought an adhesive that offered a fast curing time whilst maintaining good clarity and structural reliability. Opti-tec 5013 Optically Clear, Fast-Curing Epoxy […]

If you are establishing a new process involving the UV light curing of an adhesive or another light curing material, we can highly recommend these resources. All are from our partners, Dymax. First, a couple of articles entitled Validating a UV Flood Curing Process and Validating a UV Spot Curing Process. Secondly, a couple of […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) cure best interfacially, i.e. between two surfaces, and in thin bondlines. In adhesive joint formats where there are exposed CA surfaces, fillets, or normal squeeze-out, those parts can take a long time to cure. This may inhibit the flow of a product to the next process in production, or attract contamination when […]

You may have heard this story in the last day or so: a tourist snapped off the toes of a 200-year-old Italian sculpture while sitting on it for a photograph. The museum is in Possagno, Italy, and specialises in the work of the 18th-century sculptor Antonio Canova. Ouch! The conservation and repair specialists could consider […]

Precise, process-safe applications in the field of microdispensing are the focus of preeflow dispensing systems. They employ the endless piston principle to provide accurate, repeatable volumetric dispensing of almost all materials, be they low or high viscosity. Some materials and environments have more rigourous demands for dispensing equipment, so preeflow has developed two new options […]

We’re on a mission to help UK manufacturers squeeze more productivity out of their bonding and materials application processes. While it is not usually difficult to figure out the investment justification on the equipment that we offer, there also isn’t a high upfront cost for improving your dispensing process from a manual one to one […]

Kevin Kelly recently turned 68 years old. Amongst many achievements, he is a co-founder of Wired magazine, and was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Catalog. He celebrated his birthday by giving us 68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice. There are many gems of wisdom there, and I do encourage everyone to read them. Some […]

In our determination not to let the pandemic keep us down, we have been pursuing further methods to help our customers push their businesses forward. We have always provided a service for helping you evaluate materials and equipment by providing testing in our Technology Centre. Often the results are provided to you in a written […]

The piezobrush PZ3 Handheld Plasma Surface Treatment Device from Relyon Plasma is suitable for use in manual or semi-automated production, new product development, and in research and development settings such as a laboratories. It is simple, safe and intuitive. With a maximum power consumption of 18W, its unique Piezoelectric Direct Discharge (PDD®) technology is used […]

We recently launched our archytas series of robot integrations, which are robotic dispensing, UV curing and/or surface preparation systems custom-built to meet your application requirements. Understanding the idea behind the systems is simple enough, but what’s the idea behind the name? Archytas (ARK-it-ahs) was an Ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and strategist. He is […]

LED UV light curing systems have gained popularity in recent years, and are becoming the technology of choice and more cost-attractive. The BlueWave QX4 LED UV Spot Curing Lamp offers all the benefits of LED UV over traditional broad-spectrum technology including instant on/off with no warm-up, low operating temperature, decreased energy consumption and up to 20,000 hour […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) have been around since the 1950s, and from the 1970s they have become a common household product. Today, manufacturers are increasingly using CAs and rely on them to bond plastics, metal, ceramic, rubber, wood and other substrates in many types of assemblies. They are unique in that they provide fast curing and […]

A number of the products that we offer are described as being highly accurate, precise and/or repeatable. We believe that these criteria are important to a process where consistent, high quality output is required, and they have a big impact on productivity through reduction of material waste, quality-based rejects, and rework. But what exactly do […]

Bonding effectiveness, rapid cure time and process efficiencies have made light curing materials popular for manufacturers for assembly applications. Here, we share three tips for your UV curing processes. With a clear understanding of the UV curing process and the technology available, you can make informed choices and optimise your process. Broad vs narrow spectrum lamps The […]

In the past few weeks, we have seen many of our customers retool and/or increase production to meet the current needs of the NHS, the health industry and its users in the face of a global pandemic. In several cases, this has involved teaming up with other organisations to pool expertise and share resources. Even […]

We launched the What is your productivity potential? campaign to help manufacturers improve your productivity and become more competitive on a global scale. It highlights the ways that assembly companies can simplify processes, improve output and reduce waste. Currently, in Spring 2020, manufacturing companies are facing different kinds of challenges. Some are frantic, assembling ventilators, […]

It is almost impossible to make precision manual application of materials like RTV silicones from their standard packaging – a 310ml cartridge. You have probably run a seal around your bathtub from such a cartridge, but if you want to apply a dot of a millimetre or two diameter to a complex printed circuit board, […]

Our new brochure details the products we offer to those assembling medical devices. They include ISO 10993 adhesives and associated mixing, dispensing and curing equipment – all designed to help you achieve process reliability, repeatability and validation. As a medical device manufacturer, you need: Adhesives and protective material which bond to your substrates, withstand the […]

The metering, mixing and application of two-part materials is always a tricky business, more so when the required amounts are relatively small – in the sub-millilitre range. If the two parts are of quite different viscosities, or the mix ratio is much greater than 1:1, or there are fillers involved, then it is even more […]

The UK’s manufacturing industry needs to be far more productive and therefore competitive than it is today. Solving the productivity puzzle may assume more importance as we emerge from the current pandemic crisis, with the essential task of ramping back up the manufacturing economy looming. In a few weeks, a month or two… we must […]

Many of our customers are Essential Businesses and must continue to operate and manufacture in support of infrastructure and other critical enterprises during these challenging times. The obvious sector is the manufacture of medical devices; for example, we supply adhesives to customers who are assembling and bonding needles for injections and products like diabetic testing […]

Our business is fully operational We have put into place a number of initiatives in order to protect our colleagues and their family and friends, and our customers and suppliers. At the same time, we want to ensure that the service you have come to expect from us continues. Employees Our strategy is to minimise […]

LED-based lighting technology is being used for manifold and diverse applications, including illuminations outside. For outdoor signage, manufacturers may need to use potting or encapsulation materials to protect LEDs against water, moisture and other environmental factors. Here is a case study of how a manufacturer of outdoor signage used Wacker SilGel 612 to protect its […]

In an automatic dispensing application, the tooling for both the target workpiece and the dispensing needle are critical to positional accuracy. Even with the best set up, the dispensing needle or nozzle can move relative to the original position from which the programming was generated. This can readily occur if dispensing direct from a syringe […]

We will be giving a seminar at Engineering Solutions Live, Thursday 12th March, entitled Achieve Your Productivity Potential with UV Light Curing Adhesives, and we’d like to invite you to come along. Manufacturing in the UK is strong, but productivity remains a concern. Adhesives, coatings and protective materials which cure with light can offer significant […]

The latest issue of FAST magazine comes complete with this article about time-based adhesive selection. Factors like shelf life, working life and cure time may all be relevant to your production. It only takes five minutes to read it.

An interesting exercise: go to Google Patents and search for the term “Thinky”. The results demonstrate the enormous range of original technology breakthroughs which have depended on the ability of Thinky mixers to mix challenging liquids, pastes and powders in nanotechnology, batteries, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and many more. Can we help you with your R&D?

Recently, when discussing the choice or specification of an adhesive (or coating or sealant), we said that “Simple statements rarely match complex reality.” There is a plethora of materials and a seemingly infinite number of assembly applications, and matching them up optimally requires a real understanding of a complex scenario, in which not every factor […]

We have a long and successful history of selling THINKY mixers for mixing and/or degassing of materials including pastes, liquids, powders, inks, and very high viscosity materials. Our experience, and that of our customers, is that they do a superb job of quickly mixing these media to a homogeneous, bubble-free compound with consistent results every […]

When aesthetics are an important consideration alongside reliable sealing performance, a clear silicone is worth considering. Wacker ELASTOSIL® N2199 is a highly flexible, translucent silicone which meets the criteria of MIL-SPEC 46146, Group I, Type I. N 2199 is a one-part, ready-to-use, acid- and sovent-free, RTV-1 nonslumping paste that cures at room temperature to a […]

Recent advances in semiconductor and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have reduced both their size and cost. The Advanced Textiles Research Group at Nottingham Trent University is incorporating these components into the yarn-making stage to broaden the possibilities for electronic textiles into areas like temperature sensing, medical monitoring, motion sensing, energy harvesting and illumination. By incorporating the […]

Plasma contains highly reactive species including electrons, ions and free radicals. Application of plasma to glass can make it hydrophilic, increase its surface energy and improve wettability, so that inks, paints or adhesives can wet better. In addition, it can remove organic, inorganic and microbial surface contaminants that form due to exposure to air. It […]

Product data sheets (PDS) and specification documents are very useful when deciding what material or piece of equipment to consider for your new application. Without doubt, a survey of product datasheets for, say, an adhesive will allow you to narrow down the candidate list from many thousands to, hopefully, a handful. This selection can then […]

This Twitter post from James Wong caught my eye this morning. James is an ethnobotanist, a science presenter on the BBC and a New Scientist columnist. He is pragmatic and without hyperbole – and worth following if you are on Twitter and like reading myth-busting tweets about food, nutrition, and the environment. The resonance for […]

We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. Thank you for working with us in 2019. We are closed on the afternoon of Tuesday December 24 2019, and reopen again at 9am Thursday January 2 2020. In lieu of sending out printed Christmas cards, we have donated to two charities: […]

Dymax SpeedMask® 7601 is a high-performance, LED-curable, peelable masking compound formulated for surface protection during plating, anodizing (Type II or III), grit blasting and acid stripping (hydrochloric, nitric and sulfuric solutions) processes. SpeedMask temporary masking compounds are single-part liquids which are readily applied to parts prior to surface treatments. They cure very quickly with UV […]

Sometimes, cured UV adhesives or coatings have a tacky or sticky surface, even after they are exposed to the correct amount of UV light to achieve full cure. If the surface of the adhesive is exposed to atmospheric oxygen during the cure, the oxygen can penetrate into the very top layer and inhibit the polymerisation […]

Our partner, VERMES Microdispensing, a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative microdispensing concepts and systems, has introduced DST – Dynamic Shockwave Technology. Applied to jetting valve technology for the application of fluids and pastes, DST is an enabling move forward. Dynamic Shockwave Technology stands for a revolutionary actuator principle. Through optimised channel […]

Improving Productivity by Increasing Output When we think about how to increase the productivity of an organisation, we often immediately jump to how to raise output. How can we make more of that widget, or a better version of the widget, within the constraints of our production space or other limited resources? Maybe the market […]

Our customers are doing amazing things, so we’d like to highlight some of their achievements and perhaps provide you with a bit of inspiration for ways to improve your productivity while achieving a great return on investment. Here’s a snapshot of some of our recent case studies: ShotScope has been able to quadruple production of […]

Our latest case study describes the story of a UK manufacturer of outdoor signage and lighting products, who was seeking to encapsulate their LED strips to protect them from environmental damage, whilst maintaining a desirable aesthetic in the finished product. Wacker SilGel 612 Transparent Silicone Potting Gel fit the bill. Read more about it and […]

To give manufacturers all the benefits of curing using UV LED technology in a compact, all-in-one design, we now offer the Dymax® BlueWave AX-550™ LED UV curing flood lamp. The lamp offers rapid curing and consistency across a 125 mm x 125 mm curing area and can sit on a benchtop or be integrated into […]

The latest issue of Medical Plastics News (issue 51, November/December 2019) is out today. We are proud to be featured on page 17 with an article entitled All of the lights – an overview and some hints about using UV curing adhesives for medical device assembly. Read the complete issue, or click on the picture […]

An international company who specialise in manufacturing and repairing landing gear and actuation systems for the aerospace market were looking for efficiencies in their electroless nickel plating process – their target was to automate the masking process and increase throughput. The adoption of Dymax SpeedMask brought process times down from as much as three days […]

We have added three products to our range of thermally conductive adhesives from our partner Polytec PT. You will benefit from convenient side-by-side cartridge packaging, which simplifies application. The adhesives have added functionality, including high thermal conductivity (2.2 W/mK), very good adhesion, flexibility and high temperature resistance. When used as a bonding technique, thermally conductive […]

We have a wide experience of integrating dispensing, curing and surface preparation equipment with our robots. Combining one or more of these processes onto one platform can deliver production efficiency and productivity – often at realistic cost which can payback very quickly. This two minute video explains the benefits we have delivered to customers over […]

Our popular Fisnar DC100 digital dispensing controller has been upgraded to feature a high precision pressure regulator. As a result, the levels of dispense accuracy and repeatability the controller offers are now even higher. As a versatile dispenser for adhesives, sealants, coatings, inks, greases, and other fluids, the DC100 digital dispenser is designed to suit […]

Corinna Little, from our partner Relyon Plasma GmbH, will be presenting her paper on “Enhancing the bonding properties of pressure-sensitive adhesives on white goods by means of atmospheric plasma treatment” at the Adhesion ’19 Conference, a symposium on the science and technology of adhesion and adhesives. Her synopsis is as follows: Atmospheric-pressure plasma can enhance […]

Just published in its second edition is Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Characterization, and Applications by Dr Joseph Koo. This thoroughly revised guide offers a concise introduction to polymer nanocomposites that is ideal for engineers who need to use nanomaterials in real-world situations. Written by a recognized expert in the field, the book explains how polymer nanocomposites […]

We are happy to be presenting a seminar at the next FAST Live exhibition on September 19 2019, entitled When to use silicones in electronics applications. When it comes to adhesives and sealants, there are a variety of chemistries to choose from. Epoxies, polyurethanes, UV-curing adhesives, methacrylates, and others all have their own strengths, but when […]

The fixture time for an adhesive (sometimes called the set time) is the shortest time required by the adhesive to develop handling strength such that substrates can be removed from fixtures, unclamped, or handled without stressing the bond – stress which might affect the ultimate bond strength. We can define handling strength as a (relatively) […]

THINKY Mixers are industrial non-contact “planetary ” mixers for all liquids, pastes, powders and fillers – and any combination of liquids or liquids/solids. This includes engineering compounds, pharmaceutical or cosmetic formulations, and nano-particle dispersions. They mix, disperse and degas your materials in seconds to minutes, in a sealed or lid-less container such as a jar, […]

Polyoxymethylene (POM) is a high density thermoplastic, also called acetal or polyacetal. Brand names include Delrin, Ultraform and Hostaform*. It is often used as an engineering grade plastic, especially for precision parts. POM is extremely solid, hard and stiff in a wide temperature range. It maintains its high ductility up to -40°C and has excellent […]

The June 2019 issue of Industrial Technology magazine contains a great piece from our Technical Manager, Kevin Cook, entitled Keeping the Finishing Line in Sight. The Sydney Opera House turned out to be one of the most disastrous construction projects in history, running vastly over time and budget. Designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, the […]

A new addition to the Dymax BlueWave MX-Series LED UV Curing System offers the ability to control up to four LED UV emitters with one controller, saving space and money while offering greater flexibility for curing applications. The BlueWave MX-series Multichannel Controller is available in 2- and 4-channel versions. This allows manufacturers to use just […]

The Challenge “A leading UK aerospace company commissioned Astech Projects to build a bespoke Automated Masking System to mask complex areas of aircraft components to avoid precious metal coverage during the manufacturing process,” explained Craig Hamilton, Business Development Manager at Astech Projects. “The system was required to have the capability to mask 14 component variants, […]

Optics engineers commonly require optical adhesives to bond components together during optical assembly, lens and prism bonding, optical element positioning and fixturing, and fibre-optic assembly. Every adhesive has its own strengths and limitations, which can make it challenging to determine which is the most suitable material for the task at hand. Selecting an adhesive requires […]

Design teams test the aerodynamics of a Formula 1 car by putting a prototype in a wind tunnel. Engineers often use smaller scale 3D models during testing – but how can they be sure that the prototype will be up to scratch? The time-scales and competitive nature of Formula 1 mean that engineers must quickly […]

The April 2019 issue of Design Products & Applications magazine is now available, and it contains a piece from our Technical Manager, Kevin Cook, entitled Adhesive Consideration – Designing with Production in Mind. In 2018, the New South Wales Government faced embarrassment after ordering $2 billion worth of new trains that were too wide for […]

Whilst our customers typically use plasma technology to improve their bonding, another use of plasma is ultrafine surface cleaning. Relyon Plasma, our sales partner, has produced an in-depth explanation of how plasma technology can clean surfaces, which we have added to our library of technical resources. You can read the White Paper on Plasma Technology […]

It is pleasing to report that one of our Thinky Mixers has helped some research by a team from UCL. Their just published paper is entitled Argon plasma surface modification promotes the therapeutic angiogenesis and tissue formation of tissue-engineered scaffolds in vivo by adipose-derived stem cells. Synthetic implants are being used to restore injured or […]

To deliver better customer service and accommodate further growth, we have opened a new state-of-the-art facility in Kidlington, just across the street from our previous location. Inaugurated on February 25 2019, the building provides increased warehouse space to enable next day delivery, an enhanced office area to house our growing team and a new Technology […]

The January/February 2019 issue of Plastic News Europe features our article Time to bond with plasma technology. The piece concludes: “Plasma is not limited to natural phenomena like stars and the Northern Lights. Manufacturers should consider plasma treatment if they are frequently faced with difficult-to-bond substrates. The benefits can be particularly compelling for medical device, […]

The latest issue of the journal Fibres features an article from the Advanced Textiles Research Group at Nottingham Trent University entitled A Novel Method for Embedding Semiconductor Dies within Textile Yarn to Create Electronic Textiles. The group have been working on Electronic yarns (E-yarns) – yarns which contain electronics fully incorporated into the yarn’s structure prior to […]