Furniture supports us. We depend on it. We expect that when we sit on it, it will allow us to. Unfortunately, with the rise of quick manufacturing and the race to lower prices, furniture has become less stable--literally. Materials used is one of main areas where furniture manufacturers have found a way to make furniture more affordable for everyone. Oftentimes, this comes at the cost of quality. A material costs less because it doesn't look as nice or it won't last as long--always at the expense of the customer and the manufacturer's reputation. But this doesn't have to be the case. Furniture manufacturers can still use top of the line material at affordable prices.
Hotmelt.com carries adhesives from water based to wood glue for furniture making and wood glue. Today we’re going to discuss one of the most essential adhesives that goes into the furniture industry, APAO hot melt.
There are three main grades of APAO polymers available including butene-propylene copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymers and propylene homopolymers. These varying grades are what gives APAOs their flexibility in various characteristics. Whether customers need to use a polyolefin neat or in a formulation, hotmelt.com carries an APAO with low molecular weight and amorphous properties, and we can create a customized solution for each and every unique need, in any industry.
This is a big bonus to customers who need an adhesive with precise manufacturing specifications for a unique application. In the furniture industry, APAO hot melt adhesives are best used in the following ways:
- Mattress: for purposes such as foam lamination, mattress ticking, upholstery layer attachment, pillow top attachment, and pocket coil assembly.
- Panel Lamination
- Office Furniture: for purposes such as foam binding, upholstery, nonstructural assembly, drawer liners, and case back.
- Foam Bonding
- Woodworking: for purposes similar to the office furniture manufacturing needs mentioned above.
- Edge Banding
Another benefit of APAO hot melts is that they often manage to provide a better adhesive at a better price. In order to improve the furniture industry customer margins, APAOs can boost productivity and last longer. Here are the specific ways that APAO hot melt helps companies accomplish both the productivity boost and the increased adhesive mileage:
- Quick and easy to use adhesive, which can significantly effect productivity.
- High thermal stability, which allows for less time-consuming precision during manufacturing.
- Versatile open time, which creates more leniency for the production process and employee's working hours.
- Less of the adhesive goes further, which allows manufacturers to use up to 30% less of the adhesive.
- Flexible uses, which means the APAOs can be used on their own or in combination with a formula.
There are only two alternatives to an APAO adhesive solution. The first is a waterbased system and the second is a traditional EVA or polyamide hot melt. However, neither of these systems hold-up when compared to APAO. The following lists the disadvantages of using the two other options, in comparison with APAO as a solution:
- The waterbased system involves significant labor because of the mixing involved during production, and because of the clean up that is required due to large amounts of waste. Some of the other drawbacks of using a waterbased system include the fact that the line speeds are slower and there is a much higher consumption of energy required. All in all, waterbased systems demand more labor and time, leading to a significant reduction in productivity when compared to REXtac's APAO.
- EVA or Polyamide Hot Melt have some serious problems that APAO has addressed. Traditional EVA hot melt does not offer the strength or temperature resistance of APAO. While polyamide hot melt can offer temperature and strenght adavantages like APAO, they are often 5-10 times more expensive, have shorter shelf lives and can be hard on dispensing equipment.
For the furniture industry, Hotmelt.com offers around eight unique APAO products. While they do all have a white appearance and all come packaged in a 350 pound fiber drum or 35-50 pound box, they all vary when it comes to open time, tensile strength, and much more. Here is additional information about each of those products:
- RT2535 is a high ethylene copolymer with good cohesion, a medium open time and high initial tack.
- RT2730 is a butene-1 copolymer that is known for having high initial tack, great cohesion and a long open time.
- RT2788 is a butene-1 copolymer with high initial tack, a medium open time and excellent thermal stability.
- RT2830 is a butene-1 copolymer with high initial tack, long open time, and an application temperature of 250 to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
- RT2880 is a butene-1 copolymer with a viscosity of 2600 cps at 375 degrees fahrenheit and excellent cohesion.
- RT6825 is a butene-1 copolymer with minimal residual tack, excellent cohesion and a short open time.
- E101 is a modified t-APAO with a very long open time, a viscosity of 2000 cps at 375 degrees fahrenheit and high initial tack.
- RT9720 is a modified t-APAO with excellent stability at 375 degrees fahrenheit after 48 hours, a long open time and high initial tack.
Whether a furniture manufacturer is looking for an adhesive with tensile strength above 1100 psi or below 29 psi; or they are looking for an adhesive with an open time of 20 seconds or of 900 seconds, they will find it with APAOs. Hotmelt.com adhesive solutions are innovative, progressive, inexpensive, long-lasting and so many more positive attributes that manufacturers just need.
Hotmelt.com, headquartered in Minneapolis, provides adhesive solutions to those in need, whether you participate in a hobby that requires specific adhesive or you help to run a large corporation that consumes adhesives in bulk. The company has been providing great products and top-notch advice for nearly 3 decades and is excited to add offer APAOs in their product line.
Contact us to discuss your application. We're happy to provide insight based on real life experience and can often provide samples at no cost.