The Intertronics Blog

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 […]

Will you be at the Med-Tech Innovation Expo this year? The show, which runs from 28-29 September 2020 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 […]

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 homogenous, 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 […]

We have recently had excellent feedback from several of our customers on the success of THINKY mixers for their research and development and small-scale production of battery slurries. The growing demand for lithium-ion batteries has inspired businesses to develop electrode slurry materials, including optimisation of formulations. The slurry consists of electrode particles, small carbon particles to help conduction and […]

Many harsh surface treatment processes are used during the manufacture of aerospace and other high technology components. During many of these processes, some areas of the component do not require the treatment, requiring temporary protection. Dymax SpeedMask® temporary masking materials provide aerospace manufacturing companies with reliable surface protection without the challenges of traditional masking materials […]

The modular connectivity design of the new F4000 ADVANCE series of benchtop dispensing robots from Fisnar gives manufacturers more control in specifying an automated fluid dispensing system that will meet their own particular requirements. The ADVANCE series comprises the most extensive range of 3-axis, 4-axis and 5-axis robots in the industry and allows a simple […]

Tribus is a voluntary organisation based in Banbury aimed at helping people with mental illness. The group was set up in October 2017 by amateur boxing coach Dave Earle. Earle works with Cognitive Behavioural Coach Bob Scott and Osteopath Hector Wells to deliver a program which combines mental, fitness, physical fitness and emotional fitness to help […]

Intertronics is celebrating 25 years of having John Heap as part of our team. John is our Quality and Materials Manager, responsible for keeping all of our policies and procedures in check so that we can provide a consistently high level of reliability and service to our customers and suppliers. On the rare occasions when […]

Thank you for working with us in 2018. We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. In lieu of sending out printed Christmas cards, we have donated to two charities. North Oxfordshire Community Food Bank supports families in Kidlington, Woodstock, Chipping Norton and Charlbury areas by providing food parcels. The parcels […]

At our semi-annual company meeting yesterday, the Intertronics Award for Excellence was bestowed upon our external sales team of Paul Whitehead, David Peat and Simon Gibbs. These road warriors spend their days visiting customers, helping them figure out their production needs, and assisting our customers with specifying products delivering productivity enhancements. Their face-to-face relationships with […]

For her volunteering day this year, our Marketing Manager, Rachel Chancellor, spent the day at the Thames Street Living Room baking festive biscuits with visitors. The Thames Street Living Room is located in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, and is open on Mondays for anyone who would like to socialise with other members of the community. It opened […]

We wrote about shelf life in this adhere academy blog post pot life v shelf life v working life – part 1. Our partners at Dymax have written a blog post entitled 5 Questions to Help You Understand Shelf Life with answers to these questions: How is the shelf life of a product determined? Where do […]

Another excellent issue of FAST magazine has recently crossed our desk; editor Brian Wall continues to pack it with great content about fastening & assembly solutions and technology. It includes an article from us entitled Automated dispensing across industry – the applications and benefits of automated adhesive and sealant dispensing are manifold, with manufacturers reaping […]

Many two-part adhesive materials are supplied in side-by-side cartridges, particularly in 50ml quantities. If you are using a material packaged in 50ml cartridges, the most likely associated dispensing method is a simple, manual dispensing gun. Manual dispensing guns are convenient and inexpensive. This is ideal if you are sampling a material or using it in […]

A rotary dispensing table is a simple robot which holds a round or cylindrical object, rotating it while a material is applied to it via a dispensing syringe, pump or valve. Whilst it is a simple tool, it will provide consistent results, reducing manual labour, rejects, and wasted material. When dispensing onto round objects or […]

WACKER SilGel 612 silicone gel potting compound has a cured consistency that is really hard to describe in words, so we have demonstrated it in video format. This soft silicone gel provides excellent shock and vibration absorption in addition to the usual benefits of potting compounds such as component protection from water and other environmental […]

It’s not every day that your boss takes you to Paris for an Art Deco lunch and a cruise along the Seine. So what was so special that it prompted the whole company to go on a day trip to Paris? A while ago, the team at Intertronics were set a challenge by MD Peter […]

Our partners Techspray have a new blog post about Dusters – also called “air duster”, “canned air”, “compressed air”, and “dusting gas”, they are used to provide a pressurised blast, knocking loose dust and dirt. Think of them as a portable replacement for an air compressor line. They can be used to blow out biscuit […]

Reducing material waste during the UV curing adhesive dispense and cure process is a common challenge faced by manufacturers. For innovative pump manufacturer Franklin Electric, our partners at preeflow were able to provide a fully integrated adhesive dispensing system to do just this. The preeflow eco-PEN450 not only reduced the manufacturer’s waste and minimised material consumption but […]

From the iPad version of today’s The Times: More than half the world’s workplace tasks will be carried out by a machine within the next seven years but the relentless rise of the robots will create more jobs than it will destroy, research has found. A study by the World Economic Forum suggests that 52 […]

In order to celebrate reaching a “big hairy audacious goal” that we all worked hard to achieve, “the boss” is whisking us all off to Paris tomorrow for a nice lunch and some touring. As a result, our offices will be closed. We hope this does not cause anyone any great inconvenience, and if you […]

Yes, some are. It is good to understand this chemistry and the different types so that you can make sure you choose an appropriate RTV silicone sealant for your application. RTV silicone sealants are very useful products, because of their outstanding long term thermal resistance and stability (-50° to +180°C or more), long-lasting flexibility and […]

Bringing portability, precision and power to UV curing To improve UV curing options available for the medical, industrial, electronics, automotive and optical industries, we have launched the IUV101 LED UV Spot Lamp for Handheld UV Light Curing.  The new 370nm handheld spot lamp offers up to 2,000 mW/cm2 intensity in a cost-effective and portable package. It […]

WACKER ELASTOSIL® N9111 is a tin-free single part RTV silicone sealant, with a neutral cure chemistry, producing a non-corrosive seal that does not inhibit other materials such as platinum cure silicones. This, along with its flame retardancy (it meets UL94 V-0), makes it a strong candidate for electronics manufacturing, especially for gap filling, component ruggedisation, […]

The automobile manufacturing industry places high demands on suppliers with regard to process reliability, quality and efficiency. To meet these challenges, a preeflow® customer had to optimise his application of a two-part sealant to make a form-in-place (FIP) automotive gasket. In his previous process, the dispensed sealant bead exceeded the tolerance limits at the point […]

We have recently appointed award-winning Stafford-based Stone Junction to help us handle our press releases and publicity campaigns. Stone Junction’s clients are all in the science, technology and engineering sector, which demonstrates the agency’s knowledge of these industries and experience with the relevant media. We think that they are well equipped to work with us to […]

We are proud to support Kevin Cook, our technical manager and product guru, in his company volunteering mission this year. As a keen rugby fan and parent of seven year old rugby player Louis, Kevin chose to spend his volunteering time helping out at the under 7’s and 8’s annual county rugby tournament ‘Tagfest 2018’. […]

We held our mid-year company meeting at the The Racehut in Oxford recently – an inspired choice for an inspiring get together. We enjoyed an motivating afternoon of sharing presentations with the entire business, discussing future plans and celebrating record financial results. Our operations team shared exciting news about the rollout of a new training system […]

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 […]

In time/pressure fluid dispensing, the use of a dispensing piston in the syringe barrel can benefit in a number of ways: a piston helps to apply even pressure across the liquid surface, giving a more uniform dispense, it acts as a barrier between the liquid and the air, and it reduces waste and residue in […]

Earlier this year we set up a scheme which enables our team to support some really great causes by giving them time out of the office to go and do some hands-on voluntary work. Our Technical Sales Executive Lucy Loch (BEng) decided to use her expertise in engineering to help the young ladies at 3rd […]

Simple application, fast cure, no solvents – these are the features many pcb assemblers are looking for when specifying a printed circuit board conformal coating. You want good protection of your pcb assemblies with efficient process and high throughput. If this is you, then Dymax’s Light-Curable Conformal Coatings Selector Guide should be on your reading […]

Kevin Cook, our Technical Manager, recently celebrated his 10th anniversary at Intertronics. Having started in our sales team, and progressed to Internal Sales Manager, and now Technical Manager, Kevin has accumulated an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of our products and our customers, and is a real asset to the team. To mark his 10th anniversary and […]

We were delighted to offer two students from Gosford Hill School the opportunity to come and complete their work experience here at Intertronics. During their week with us, Jake and Kian spent time with a representative from each of our teams. This allowed them to experience a variety of functions within the business, from accounting […]

Munich based chemical company WACKER and Intertronics are pleased to announce the signing of a distribution contract under which Intertronics will sell WACKER’s range of RTV silicone encapsulants and potting compounds, adhesive sealants, and thermally conductive compounds to customers in the UK and Ireland. Our customers are involved in technology manufacturing in areas such as […]

We know that light curing adhesives can improve productivity. This infographic from our partners DYMAX highlights efficiencies that can be gained when a UV light cure systems technology is looked at holistically as an integral part of a full production process, leading to an average 30% savings in overall process costs. The benefits include: Minimised risk/enhanced […]

The application of adhesives, potting compounds or encapsulants, sealants, FIP gaskets, temporary masking or lubricants (or other liquids, fluids or pastes – in summary, “a material”) is something which is readily automated with a dispensing robot. If you are doing this manually now, then you could be missing out on productivity benefits, including consistency, speed […]

Shot Scope Technologies, based in Edinburgh, designs and manufactures innovative wearable technology which helps both professional and amateur golfers to improve their game. A keen golfer with a background in electronics design, CEO David Hunter set up the company in 2014 to develop the golf wearable, which collects and analyses over 100 key statistics from […]

A structural adhesive is an adhesive which “hardens” or cures into a material capable of holding two or more substrates together, bearing the forces involved for the lifetime of the product. It is often termed a “load-bearing” adhesive. The product may undergo shock, vibration, chemical exposure, temperature excursions or many other types of potentially weakening or […]

Linseed oil is a “drying oil”; the oil hardens through a chemical reaction in which the components crosslink, and hence polymerise into a solid form. The addition of pigments to the oil makes paint, and this technique has been used since the Middle Ages, even in fine art. Today, linseed oil paints are used for a variety […]

The latest dispensing product from us is the Fisnar F4500N Benchtop Dispensing Robot which shares all the technical advantages of the F4000 range in an expanded format of 500x500mm, still in a convenient benchtop design. The Fisnar F4500N is a full function robot that enables cost effective automation of liquid dispensing operations, allowing increased productivity […]

Peter Swanson, our Managing Director, will be delivering a seminar titled ‘The Art and Science of Choosing a Structural Adhesive’ at FAST Live, held at the National Motorcycle Museum on May 10. The seminar, and the co-located exhibition, are free to attend. With an increasing number of structural adhesives on the market, this technical seminar […]

We are very clear about the companies with whom we partner in order to supply the needs of our customers. They must have great products, be reliable and communicative and supportive, be innovative, and above all – share our values. With all these things aligned, we build enduring win-win relationships. There is no better example […]

We have a new addition to our line of THINKY mixing machines: the THINKY ARM-310 mixing machine for liquids, pastes and powders. The new Thinky ARM-310 Engineering Compounds Mixer offers an alternative to mixing by hand, with simple operation and fully homogenous results in a few minutes, and results which are repeatable time after time. The […]

Our partners Dymax have recently introduced Dymax 1406-M, a next generation needle bonding adhesive for manufacturers looking to switch to UV LED curing in small gauge needle applications.  It provides superior bonding performance on the reduced surface area of smaller cannulas, even after aging and sterilization, to reduce the possibility of cannula substrate failure. Optimized for […]

One of the great benefits of our Fisnar dispensing robots is that they can be simply user-programmed via the standard teach pendant, supplied in the box. Fisnar robot programming is simple, with easy to understand English language instructions. Commands are followed and responses entered by the teach pendant. An LCD display prompts the user for a […]

The mixing together of liquids, pastes, powders and fillers is a critical process in many sectors, not least in pharmaceutical and cosmetics R&D and production. Getting a fully homogeneous bubble-free mix of materials, especially those with different forms or viscosities, is of paramount concern. Speed and repeatability of the pharmaceutical mixing process will aid productivity […]

We were very pleased to see some extensive coverage of some of our tips and hints for UV curing in the latest issue of FAST (Fastening & Assembly Solutions And Technology) Magazine – the UK’s only journal dedicated 100% to the subject of fastening, bonding and assembly in manufacturing applications. We recommend that you subscribe. […]

Composites continue to be the subject of rapid advancement in terms of formulation, production and types of applications. Incorporating composites in your assemblies requires adhesives that contribute to the highest possible performance and reliability, exploit their qualities of strength and light weight and meet the demanding conditions of the automotive, defence, aerospace, marine, medical, electronics/electrical, […]

The preeflow® eco-PEN330 Volumetric Dosing Pump is now available, joining a range of very successful sibling preeflow eco-PENs. It offers manufacturers precision application of fluids and pastes from a minimum of 0.002ml, at rates of up to 3.3 ml/min. The preeflow progressive cavity pump technology handles delicate fluids from watery up to a pasty consistency without damage, and […]

This paper describes the development of a microfluidic platform for the formation and maintenance of blood microvessels. A mould is fabricated using photolithography, which is then used to cast the microfluidic from PDMS (poly-dimethylsiloxane). One of the key issues during the microfluidic production is the complete filling of all the microstructures with the uncured PDMS. […]

We are taking part in a one day seminar, entitled Future Trends for Adhesives and Adhesion: From Biomimetics to Space Applications. Organised by the Society for Adhesion and Adhesives which is part of the IOM3 Surface Engineering Division, it takes place in London on March 15 2018. This one day event considers some of the […]

The curing of materials like adhesives, coating, encapsulants, potting compounds, temporary masking materials or gaskets with UV light offers many process advantages, and can deliver productivity enhancements to manufacturers. The ability of the technology to deliver full cure in seconds (rather than minutes or hours) is a prime example. The materials are predominantly single part […]

If the last few celebratory moments of New Year are fading, and you think it’s time for a fresh boost to your career, have a look at our job vacancies. Located at our offices in Kidlington, just north of Oxford, we have full time positions available for: Accounts Administrator Marketing Executive Have a look at […]

The Vermes MDS 3010+ and Vermes MDS 3020+ Microdispensing Jetting Valves are designed for precision dispensing of material in small volumes at fast speeds with extremely high accuracy and repeatability. The piezo-actuated valves satisfy the trend for increasing miniaturisation of components in production processes – demanding ever-smaller deposits of beads and lines – as well as the requirement to […]

The Dymax BlueWave® MX-250™ LED flood curing system offers all the benefits of curing using UV LED technology, in a flood lamp configuration which has the power and control suitable for production. There are significant potential advantages in using LEDs to generate UV light suitable for curing adhesives and coatings in a manufacturing environment. No […]

In today’s The Times, in an article about the Northampton Saints rugby team, it was revealed that this season’s string of poor results for the Saints has impacted on the local manufacturing industry. Dylan Hartley, the club captain, revealed that productivity falls in the town’s Carlsberg factory and at Church’s shoes, another of the club’s leading […]

One of our new print advertisements!

We will close for the Christmas break on Friday 22nd December and reopen at 9am on Tuesday 2nd January. In lieu of sending out printed Christmas cards, we have donated to two local charities. Oxford Against Cutting works to prevent female genital mutilation (FGM) of girls and women in Oxfordshire. North Oxfordshire Community Food Bank supports […]

At our company meeting yesterday, we reflected on the many interesting, exciting and challenging projects we have been a part of this year. Our customers continue to impress us with incredible innovation, and we love being a part of so many world-changing ideas. From saving lives, to improving car and home safety, to saving the […]

One of our new print advertisements!

A nice infographic from our friends at Dymax discussing the advantages of curing using LED-based equipment. Click on the image for a larger version. Check out our range of adhesives which have been formulated to cure with LED UV curing lamps.

We are stocking the Techspray Vortex 360° Renew Duster, which provides an answer for companies facing the restriction on technical aerosols using HFCs with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) greater than 150. The EU F-Gas Regulation (517/2014) which comes into effect on 1 January 2018 controls the use and emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases, and will […]

The flowplus16 is an inline fluid sensor for monitoring the pressure of adhesive, coating or other material being dispensed or dosed. By understanding changes in pressure of material flow, consistency or other quality issues (like blockages or air inclusions) can be identified in order to produce consistent dosing results and dispensing quality. In this White […]

Our Managing Director Peter Swanson was delighted to be quoted in Brian Wall’s editorial in the latest issue of FAST (Fastening & Assembly Solutions And Technology) magazine. The context concerned the value of exhibitions and other conventions where industry meets: In an age where the Internet and digital technology have become so powerful in delivering […]

The Chief Economist for RBS reports today: “A decent August for UK production as output rose by 0.2% on the month. If it manages the same in September then production should rise by 0.9% in Q3, about treble its recent pace. Manufacturing is enjoying a mini-renaissance. Output rose 0.4% on the month and turnover is […]

GenZe dedicate themselves purely to getting customers where they need to be with their two wheeled electric vehicles. A leading pioneer in the field, GenZe has developed leading edge engineering, R&D, and design innovations in areas including Li-Ion battery production. Packaging state-of-the-art electronics with energy-dense Li-Ion battery cells presents some unique challenges and opportunities The Problem […]

How to degas a syringe using a THINKY mixing and degassing machine is a visual guide to removing air from syringe packaged materials. Suitable for degassing materials from low to high viscosity the THINKY ARE-250 can also uniformly mix your compound, epoxy, adhesive, silicone, paste, powder or other material before being decanted into syringes and degassed ready […]

Gantry robots provide the reliability of precisely positioned dispensing for conveyor operations requiring a Cartesian gantry robot, or for bench applications that require XYZ movement above the work. These robots can increase your production output and product quality with consistent results on every piece. With simple, fully-supported implementation from our Technical Team here at Intertronics you will […]

The Problem A world leader in electrical explosion protection and sensor technology, was looking for an alternative to laser welding for an application that requires sealing two polycarbonate parts in their photoelectric sensors. The customer was bonding polycarbonate clear covers to a polycarbonate PCB enclosure by laser welding. However, they were unsatisfied with the results, as […]

In setting up a UV light curing process, the key to success is ensuring that the adhesive or other light curing material receives the correct dose or UV curing energy in order to cure as completely as possible. Dose is the total energy arriving at the surface per unit area and is made up of the […]

Based in Boston, Lincolnshire, Parkinson Harness Technology is a manufacturer of bespoke electrical products to industries such as construction, agriculture, rail and defence. It produces a variety of products including wiring harnesses, control panels, battery/power leads, PCBs and control systems mainly for use in specialist vehicle manufacture. Parkinson Harness Technology also offers engineering support services […]

Make sure you read the latest issue of FAST magazine, where on page 42 you can catch up on our thoughts about manufacturing productivity in the UK, and how we are helping our customers bridge the productivity gap. We recommend taking out a free subscription, if you don’t already have one.

Dymax 9452-FC is an advanced low viscosity conformal coating for printed circuit boards, formulated with a revolutionary new technology as an alternative to thin, solvent-based conformal coatings. Whilst it has a very low viscosity – 20 cP – it still provides good electrical insulation and protection against humidity, plus very good thermal shock and corrosion resistance. It offers […]

We have added a new Technical Bulletin to our Technical Resources to help answer the commonly asked question: “How much adhesive will I need?“. The Technical Bulletin is a guide to calculating approximate amounts of material required, based on the bondline dimensions. “How much adhesive will I need?” also includes a link to download our Adhesive Usage […]

The bonding with adhesives of plastics to metals is an application which is growing. A typical example is the bonding of composite materials (carbon fiber, CFRP) and aluminium (Al) materials in the automotive sector. Various adhesives can meet the structural requirements of the bond. However, a polymer matrix of carbon fiber reinforced materials can have […]

The latest addition to our YouTube channel features an explanation of just how quick and easy it is to get going with a THINKY mixing and degassing machine.   THINKY Mixers are industrial non-contact “planetary” mixers for all engineering compounds. They mix, disperse and degas your materials in seconds to minutes, in a sealed or lid-less […]

Huzzah! Our team was so pleased to receive an Investors in Education award recently. These are given every other year by the Oxfordshire Business Education Alliance to organisations that support the schools in the alliance. We were nominated by local Gosford Hill School to receive an award this year. Managing Director, Peter Swanson: “Whilst my […]

Our IDM HDV Handheld Diaphragm Dispensing Valves are suitable for applications which demand accurate dispensing of adhesives alongside the flexibility of manual operation. They provide controlled dosing, and offer a number of benefits over other dispensing methods such as: Accurate dispensing of low viscosity fluids such as cyanoacrylates Comfortable shape for handheld operation Pneumatic or […]

Just six weeks to go until the FAST Exhibition comes to the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on 21st September 2017. For those of you who have attended the FAST exhibition in recent years, you’ll know Intertronics are a regular for both exhibiting and presenting at the show. In the upcoming FAST Exhibition, our MD Peter Swanson […]

Economic productivity fell in the first three months of this year, the first decline since late 2015, according the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today. The figures suggest a continuation of the “productivity puzzle”, the ONS said. The puzzle refers to the flatlining of productivity since 2010, which is unprecedented in the post-war era and is […]

Thinking about improved structural bonding of plastics? Plastics are usually characterised by inert surfaces with surface energies between 20 and 40 mN/m. In order to wet a surface, however, the surface energy of the polymer must exceed the one of the paint, ink or the adhesive. This condition can be achieved through a plasma treatment […]

Our supplier partner ViscoTec, manufacturers of our preeflow® Precision Volumetric Dosing Pump range have launched their treeflow project, choosing to donate to the Fairventures organization for each preeflow dispenser sold in 2017. Through this venture ViscoTec aim to help improve the rural livelihoods of the population in Indonesia and to protect the rainforests. Fairventures is a […]

With more than 90 years of experience in the development of audio electronics, beyerdynamic, based in Heilbronn, Germany, stands for innovative audio products with the highest sound quality and groundbreaking technology. The different divisions provide tailor-made solutions for professional and private users. All products are developed in Germany and are mainly manufactured by hand – […]

DYMAX Speedmask® 9-7001 is a temporary mask for electronics. It offers significant time saving in assembly of electronics connectors and other board level components to pcb’s. Once cured in seconds with UV/visible light, the (pink) maskant enables easy visual checks, while its low shrinkage rate ensures accurate reliable coverage. Speedmask® 9-7001 is designed for protecting connectors […]

Adhesive bonding of power modules can often be an alternative to usual joining techniques. Epoxy-based adhesives can generally produce high-strength and stable connections. Whether this also applies to the high requirements in power circuits was the subject of a research project recently performed by the IMTEK Department of Microsystems Engineering and the IESY Institute of […]

Our customer, GJD designs, produces and sells intruder detection products at its factory and head office in Heywood, Greater Manchester. One of GJD’s main products is its line of white-light and infra-red LED illuminators, marketed under the company’s Clarius® brand. Used principally in security applications, they also find other uses, including broadcast production. High performance […]

“Our technicians wanted me to source your wipes, as they are better than any wipes we have been using.” “The sample IPA wipes have been approved by management – they’re over the moon with the quality and performance.” We are delighted with how happy our customers are with our cleaning wipes. Available from stock for […]

You may already know of the Piezobrush PZ2 handheld plasma surface treatment system from our partner Relyon Plasma, which provides a simple, effective method of increasing adhesion and wetting on difficult-to-bond surfaces. If you would like your application to be semi-automated or fully automated, a version of the Piezobrush PZ2 is now available which is […]

James Heydon, who is a key member of our Order Fulfilment Team, has earned a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. We had a chat with James to find out more about his award and what it took to achieve it. Why did you decide to pursue a Duke of Edinburgh award, and particularly to keep […]

We will be sharing our knowledge of adhesives next week on Friday 2nd June 2017 in a seminar entitled The Art and Science of Choosing a Structural Adhesive at The Engineering Materials Show, Derby. The seminar, delivered by Peter Swanson, will focus on how to choose and evaluate the best adhesives from the increasing number […]

In the impressive world of nanotechnology, getting to even smaller scale is increasingly important. For example, pharmaceutical companies who want their drugs to be faster acting on patients are considering nanoparticle formulation to improve the dissolution rate and solubility of their compounds. The THINKY NP-100 Nano Pulveriser breaks up particles using impact fragmentation, taking larger […]

The Problem A leading industrial electronics company was developing a new industrial inverter model that required a high cured thickness of conformal coating to meet electric performance. The product they were using at the time was a solvent-based coating with a low cured thickness. Air pollution and odours from solvent based coatings were  a concern for […]

We have two new precision dispensing tips to add to our smooth flow tapered dispensing tips range. Responding to research conducted, the dispensing tips were developed to aid the problems associated with the increasing miniaturisation of applications. Smaller applications tend to require more precision and smaller deposit sizes of material. Some methods using conventional tips like straight blunt […]

We are on the hunt for an Accounts Administrator, joining a small team in a fast growing business. It is a varied role, with multiple tasks across the accounts function. Have a look at the job description and get in touch if you are interested!

Only one week to go until we exhibit at the FAST Exhibition on Thursday 11th May 2017! Our MD Peter Swanson will be giving a seminar entitled Adhesives: Pros and Cons of UV Light Curing Using LEDs. The seminar will discuss how light-curing adhesives, coatings and protective materials work and the significant improvements they can provide in the […]

At the recent Thinky European sales meeting in Oxford, we absolutely delighted to be presented with this Appreciation Award. It reads: We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to you for being actively engaged in the sales activity and making great contributions to the sales of our products over the years. We hereby present […]

The much discussed “productivity puzzle” continues to haunt the UK economy. Whilst the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that manufacturing productivity in the last quarter of 2016 grew by 1.7% on the previous quarter, overall growth still lags behind the curve. Nevertheless, UK manufacturers recognise the need to enhance their […]

The new Thinky ARV-10K Twin planetary mixer offers the mixing and degassing capabilities of the Thinky technology in a size suitable for larger production. The planetary action on the twin 10 litre containers results in repeatable and fully homogenous mixing, combined with simultaneous deaeration and degassing down to sub-micron levels. This twin mixer system offers […]

We have added a “how to” video to our YouTube channel. Setting Up a Pressure Pot for Dispensing is a short visual guide for preparing a pressure reservoir for dispensing materials such as adhesives, paints, lacquers, solvents, inks, coatings, oils and many other low to medium viscosity liquids from a pail or bottle. How to set […]

Student Roy with James from our Order Fulfilment Team Last week we welcomed two local students for the week as part of the Gosford Hill School work experience programme. The two students, currently studying for their GCSE’s, got stuck in to everyday life here at our offices in Kidlington, with Roy keen to understand some […]

The tendency for some nanoparticles to agglomerate or cluster into denser masses can lead to homogeneity and performance issues in their subsequent use. Existing methodologies to de-agglomerate them do not always produce uniform results, or can be invasive and wasteful. The Thinky PR-1 Nanoparticle Dispersion Machine is a desktop unit which can disperse carbon nanotubes […]

We are looking for an Internal Sales Executive to join our team here in Kidlington, just north of Oxford. You would love this job if the thought of helping our customers with their technical challenges combined with the thrill of winning purchase orders turns you on. We have a consultative sales approach, so a technical background […]

Our partners L&L Products joined a top automotive composite customer to work on a solution to bond a rear spoiler made from carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) using a structural adhesive. The rear spoiler consists of a relatively complex design and multiple parts needing to be assembled into one high quality end product. Not only were there […]