Durability and performance have been enhanced by new adhesive |
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A HENKEL piston drum pump optimises adhesive application and reduces wastage |
Excess adhesive is skimmed off to create a flat and clean seam |
High flow gun allows the adhesive to easily flood the bond channel to encase the foam packer |
TEROSON primer is roller-applied to hide the mechanism and protect it from UV light |
contain an adhesion promoter as part of the formulation and are proven to provide excellent weathering and ageing resistance . Indeed , the specific product recommended by Henkel for this particular Sunsquare application is more commonly used in the manufacture of showers and was extensively tested by Henkel to ensure it provided the performance that Sunsquare required . This opaque , black adhesive and sealant is now applied as a bead to the parallel edges of each glazed joint . A polyurethane foam packer is then put in the channel and the adhesive flooded over the top to encase it . A thin film of LOCTITE ® spray solvent is then applied to surface to make the adhesive a little more spreadable so that any excess can be skimmed off to create a flat and clean seam . The solvent also enables the adhesive to be easily removed from the glass . To optimise the application of the TERO- SON ® adhesive sealant , Henkel has also installed a 25k piston drum pump with a dispense ratio of 24:1 . The final system will have two guns ; one for fine line applications such as the sealing of Sunsquare ’ s |
pyramid style rooflights and the other , high flow , for channel flooding . “ The silicone we used before took over 2.5 hours to skin over and even longer when the ambient temperature was lower . Not only does TEROSON ® outperform the silicone , it skins over in just 20 minutes and is sufficiently hardened for us to move the glazed unit in an hour . This means it can be moved to a crate to cure fully , so we can increase our throughput ,” James Boughton explained . He added : “ With the addition of the drum pump we also have greater control over how much product we use and ultimately this will result in further cost savings .”
PROTECTING THE WORKFORCE AND ENVIRONMENT Another successful application for Henkel has been the use of one of its TEROSON ® black windscreen primers to apply an opaque mask around the edge of the glazed frame to protect upstands from UV light . It also makes the unit more aesthetically pleasing at it effectively hides the mechanism .
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After application , the previously-used primer dried to form a very uneven surface but , as the TEROSON ® primer can be roller-applied , it is both smooth and gives a clearly defined edge . Furthermore , it cures in just 20 minutes . The success of this application isn ’ t judged purely in terms of its efficiency , however . Another big benefit is VOC reduction as the TEROSON ® product is free from chlorinated hydrocarbons and aromatic solvents . Sunsquare also takes advantage of Henkel ’ s POD system , a secure and easy-to-use web tool for ordering LOCTITE ®, TERO- SON ® and BONDERITE ® brands . This facility , coupled with regular monthly visits by a Henkel sales engineer , to evaluate adhesive usage and projected needs , ensures there is no delay in supply to interrupt production .
TIME AND COMPONENT SAVINGS The final Henkel adhesive application is in the assembly of the framework . Cleats made from Zamac and aluminium have , for some time , been bonded into the frame to provide additional strength at points of
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stress . Although the adhesive Sunsquare had been using was sufficiently strong for the purpose , it was described as being ‘ gloopy ’. Consequently , it oozed from the joint after application , wasting product and involving additional clean-up time . To address this issue , Henkel recommended a LOCTITE ® acrylic structural bonding adhesive whose thixotropic formulation would not run out of the joint . To ensure it would provide the necessary bond strength it was also subjected to extensive lab testing by Henkel and the outcome was extremely positive . Indeed , thanks to the strength of the bond , Sunsquare has subsequently been able to dispense with stainless steel straps that were previously needed to support the structure under stress . “ We are saving the cost of the straps as well as minimising adhesive wastage and eliminating clean-up time ,” James Boughton concluded . “ We can ’ t yet quantify how all our process changes are benefiting Sunsquare but our newly appointed process manager is working on it .”
www . sunsquare . co . uk
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