Consumer wearables, including smart watches and augmented reality glasses, have captured the imagination of many. Here Peter Swanson, Managing Director of adhesives specialist Intertronics, has discussed best practice for dispensing processes in wearables manufacturing.

Anaerobic adhesives are the most popular type in industry, and are ubiquitous in workshops everywhere, used as threadlockers and retaining compounds. Applications for anaerobic adhesives that require more accuracy and precision in dispensing can be challenging because of the unique cure mechanism. Here Peter Swanson, Managing Director at Intertronics, has presented evidence for the use of preeflow dispensers for anaerobic adhesives.

The cleanliness of functional and connecting surfaces is critical for the quality of subsequent processes like bonding, coating and printing. That’s why manufacturers may want to consider using atmospheric pressure plasma, an environmentally friendly cleaning technology suited to inline applications. Here Peter Swanson, Managing Director of adhesives specialist Intertronics, explains the benefits of plasma for industrial parts cleaning.

Adhesives specialist Intertronics has announced that it now supplies the small plasma handheld device, the piezobrush PZ3. It efficiently uses cold atmospheric pressure plasma for the surface treatment of plastics, metals and natural materials. The plasma treatment activates, functionalises and cleans surfaces.

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 we mean when we say ‘accurate’, ‘precise’ and ‘repeatable’? ...

Adhesives specialist Intertronics has been appointed as distributor of Born2Bond, a new range of cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesives suitable for bonding applications in high technology industries such as medical devices, electronics assembly, and automotive manufacturing and aftermarket.

Intertronics has supported the Advanced Textiles Research Group (ATRG) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) to develop electronic textiles that add functionality to materials and garments.

When dispensing small amounts of two-part adhesives or other materials, two key considerations are whether the material is mixed correctly and the accuracy of the amount dispensed. Here Paul Whitehead, Key Account Manager at adhesives specialist Intertronics, shares his thoughts on the precise metering, mixing and dispensing of small amounts of two-part materials.

To help British manufacturers improve their productivity and become more competitive on a global scale, adhesives specialist Intertronics has launched a new campaign. ‘What is your productivity potential?’ will highlight the ways that British manufacturers can simplify their processes, improve repeatability and reduce waste.

Adhesives specialist Intertronics has launched the preeflow eco-DUOMIX, a precision dispensing system that mixes and dispenses two-part materials. The eco-DUOMIX is advantageous in applications where two-part adhesive are required to be dispensed with volumetric accuracy down to 0.008ml, such as in medical device manufacturing and electronics applications.

“It works in practice, but does it work in theory” is a phrase commonly used to describe situations in economics. But the same can be applied to adhesives processes, where the datasheet may not always give the same insights as your practical observations and tests.

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.

Sometimes cured UV adhesives have a tacky or sticky surface, even after being exposed to the correct amount of UV light, due to a phenomenon called oxygen inhibition. However, with a full understanding of the process, manufacturers can achieve tack free cures. Here Matt Baseley, Senior Technical Salesperson of adhesives specialist Intertronics, has explained how to avoid a tacky surface after curing.

Plasma surface treatment is suitable for a range of applications on glass. Cold atmospheric plasma enables ultrafine cleaning, to remove contaminants and dust. By promoting wettability and adhesion, plasma is also suitable for preparing glass for digital printing. Here Peter Swanson, Managing Director of Intertronics, shares three successful applications of plasma surface treatment for glass.

Intertronics now supplies the Vermes Microdispensing System (MDS) 1560, an easy-to use, cost effective jetting valve for a wide range of viscosities, including solder pastes. The product is based on Dynamic Shockwave Technology (DST), a pneumatic actuator technology, which optimises the valve’s yield to achieve more precise dispensing. Able to dispense very small amounts in rapid succession, the consistent actuation power delivers high...

Intertronics has announced that it is supplying the expanded product range of Dymax Encompass adhesives, a patented technology that combines the benefits of See-Cure colour change and Ultra-Red fluorescence into one light-curable product. This combination means that manufacturers can benefit from the production efficiencies associated with rapid, on-demand curing, while also safeguarding against quality issues. 

  There are many industrial processes which require fast mixing of liquids, pastes and powders, and where the uniformity and homogeneity of these mixes is vital.  These include adhesives, inks, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, sealants, LED phosphors, nanoparticles, dental materials and more.

To give manufacturers all the benefits of curing using UV LED technology in a compact, all-in-one design, adhesives specialist Intertronics now offers the Dymax BlueWave AX-550 LED UV curing flood lamp. The lamp offers rapid curing and consistency across a 125x125mm curing area and can sit on a benchtop or be integrated into an automated production line.

Intertronics has added three products to its extensive range of thermally conductive adhesives from its partner Polytec PT. Users will benefit from convenient side-by-side cartridge packaging, which simplifies application. The adhesives have added functionality, including high thermal conductivity (2.2W/mK), very good adhesion, flexibility and high temperature resistance.

Typical medical device applications which use UV curing adhesives include needles and cannulas, reservoirs, tube sets and catheters. Manufacturers find that using UV light curing technology results in production efficacy and an increase in productivity. Here Peter Swanson, Managing Director of Intertronics, explains the benefits of LED UV curing technology to medical device manufacturers.