The Landing Strips

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly driven up demand around the globe for e-commerce boxes and other delivery packaging sealed with pressure-sensitive adhesives.

Boxes containing purchased items are typically sealed with adhesive strips that are applied by hot-melt systems and then covered with silicone tape. These pressure-sensitive adhesive closures securely seal the packaging.

As market leader for these applications, adhesive applicating systems manufacturer Baumer hhs GmbH is working hard to further improve its already very successful and highly productive systesm, simplify operation and increase process reliability.

The e-commerce market imposes increasing demands on the quality of pressure-sensitive adhesive application, according to Andreas Schneiders, corrugated business development manager at Baumer hhs in Krefeld, Germany.

“These days, systems that apply adhesive strips are expected to deposit perfect, uniform layer thicknesses and accurately cover them with silicone tape, even when dispensing high quantities at high production speeds,” Schneiders explains.

“The more homogeneous the contact surface, the more reliably and securely the boxes can be sealed.

“In addition, homogeneous contact surfaces facilitate the work of employees in shipping, who no longer have to manually smooth over the closures to firmly seal them,” says Schneiders, citing introduction of a new and improved Baumer hhs hot-melt system for applying pressure-sensitive adhesive on corrugated and cardboard surfaces that achieves consistent application quality and a high melt rate.

As Schneiders explains, “It supports the production of premium quality e-commerce boxes and delivery packaging with pressure-sensitive adhesive closures that will dramatically increase the reliability of the shipping process in online trade.”

According to Schneiders, new hot-melt system earns high marks in all the key criteria cited by the company’s e-commerce customers, including higher productivity, quality and flexibility combined with maximum reliability, safety and cost-efficiency.

With a melt rate of 100-kg/h with pressure-sensitive adhesives, the highest level of efficiency on the market, the new solution features a special application head, designed specifically for these applications, and a new volumetric flow controller to ensure superior performance at maximum production speeds.

For example, given correct settings and suitable ambient conditions, it can achieve adhesive application weights of up to 500 g/m2. The uniform contact surfaces it produces are the ideal basis for strong and securely glued closures.

Moreover, the absolutely clean cut-off and minimal tailing ensure that no pressure-sensitive adhesive is smeared onto other areas of the packaging or drawn into the machine.

For its part, the new application head also affords users maximum flexibility in selecting pressure-sensitive adhesives, as it can process a variety of adhesives with abroad range of high viscosities.

“With our new ho- melt system, manufacturers of e-commerce boxes can proactively meet even the highest demands of the market,” says Schneiders, summarizing the advantages of the system from Baumer hhs.

Notably, it is a complete solution comprising an energy-efficient melter, high-performance application head, controller, product guide, and a durable mount with precision settings.

According to Schneiders, it is important that packaging producers get a turnkey system for applying pressure-sensitive adhesive to corrugated and cardboard substrates from a single supplier.

When it comes to the silicone strip applicators, however, Baumer hhs basically leaves the choice to customers. A silicone strip applicator supplied by Baumer hhs partner ENPRO is integrated in the hot-melt system and can also be used to control it. Alternatively, the system can be integrated in all common controllers from Baumer hhs.

The hot-melt system’s cast tank, which comes with a non-stick coating as standard, guarantees uncompromising safety even at the high melt rate of 100 kg/h.

The durable new hot melt system is also very configurable for optimal flexibility, with a broad variety of nozzles available for the application head. Each can be easily adapted to individual needs to produce different application patterns, depending on the type of packaging being produced.

Such flexibility is a valuable atribute in meeting meets the highest demands on pressure-sensitive adhesive application on corrugated and cardboard, says Schinders.

“In constantly enhancing our industrial gluing and associated quality assurance solutions, we come up with countless ideas to help our customers optimise their processes and operate successfully in their respective markets,” Schneiders concludes.

“With its high performance, flexibility and efficiency, our new hot melt system for e-commerce boxes is right in step with this tradition.”