Basic Knowledge- Hotmelt Adhesives

1. How do I find the perfect adhesive for my edgebanding machine?

The right adhesive for each edgebanding machine depends on the manufacturer's specifications, and on the machine's feed speed. For example, glue cartridges can be used on machines with cartridge systems, such as Holz-Her machines. Other edgebanding machines require glue pellets. Choosing the right pellets depends on the machine's feed speed.

2. What does filled / unfilled mean?

With EVA HOTMELT ADHESIVE the customer can choose between filled and unfilled adhesives. Filled glues, in addition to the pure adhesive resins, contain fillers such as chalk which can influence the processing characteristics, e.g. by preventing stringing at low feed speeds. Unfilled hotmelt adhesives are comparatively lighter, as they consist of pure resin. They can be applied more thinly, and produce a thinner joint when optimally configured. You need a certain feed speed, however, to apply unfilled EVA adhesive.

Special tip:Our EVA hotmelt adhesive REDOCOL Kantomelt lightly filled offers a good alternative. Compared to unfilled hotmelt adhesive, the all-rounder is much easier to process and therefore particularly suitable for older and slow-running machines. There is no unwanted stringing or smearing of the adhesive. The hotmelt is further characterised by a low consumption and a thinner glue joint as well as good heat and cold resistance.

3. Granules, cartridge, block? What is the difference?

Depending on the manufacturer and machine type, the hotmelt adhesive is processed in different container forms. Most machines require granules which are poured into the gluepot. With other machines, the hotmelt adhesive is supplied as a cartridge or, in the case of PUR adhesives, as a 2 kg block.

4. Which adhesive do I use with feed speeds of 10 m/min and over?

Depending on the feed speed of the machine, different hotmelt adhesives must be used. To help you quickly find the right adhesive for your machine, we recommend using the faceted search function on our product pages. Here you can filter by brand, product, fillers, colour group, feed speed or even BAZ-capability. Simply tick the box that says 10 m/min and you will receive a list of all adhesives that are suitable for this feed speed.

5. Which adhesive do I use with a mobile edgebanding machine?

Mobile edgebanding machines are perfect for use on the construction site or when edging moulded parts. They usually have a feed speed of 3 to 9 metres/minute. Here, too, you can quickly find the right products using the faceted search.

6. Which adhesive do I use for my machining centre (BAZ)?

Furniture edgings can be applied not only with mobile or stationary edgebanding machines, but also with CNC machines that are equipped with an edgebanding unit. These so-called BAZ machines place special demands on the hotmelt adhesive due to their speed and the different radii of the components. Here too, the best way to select the right products is via the faceted search.

7. What is the ideal processing temperature for my EVA adhesive?

With stationary edgebanding machines and machining centres, the ideal processing temperature for EVA hotmelt adhesives is 190 -210 °C. For mobile edge processing, the temperature is a lot lower, at 120-150 °C.

8. Which adhesive do I use if the bond needs to be extremely watertight?

If a joint needs to be particularly heat-resistant or waterproof, we recommend you to use PUR HOTMELT ADHESIVE. We provide PUR hotmelt from various manufacturers and for all application systems. Products from the REDOCOL family are of high quality and particularly economical. Before switching to PUR, however, you should make sure that your edgebanding machine has a Teflon-coated gluepot. Edgebanding machines with a cartridge feed are generally suitable for processing PUR hotmelt adhesives. At 100-150 °C, the ideal processing temperature for PUR hotmelt adhesives is well below that applicable to EVA hotmelt adhesives. It is also important to ensure gluepots and machines are cleaned after using PUR hotmelt adhesives. This involves always cleaning the edgebanding machine - unless it is due to be used the next day - with a corresponding PUR cleaning agent after using PUR hotmelt (e.g. REDOCOL PUR CLEANER).