Cyanoacrylate Dispensing Valve Reduces Rejects and Rework for Fiberglass Profile Manufacturer

A Success Story

A leading pultruded fiberglass profile manufacturer needed to improve the consistency of super glue applied inside cylindrical caps for tree trimmers and pole saws. Using squeeze bottles to apply the instant adhesive by hand created too much rework and too many rejects.

The reliable, low-maintenance design of Nordson EFD's radial spinner valve system met the controlled production requirements necessary.

Nordson EFD's radial spinner valve system combines a compact air-driven motor with an EFD dispense valve and ValveMate™ controller. The valve dispenses a precisely metered amount of fluid onto a spinning disk attached to the motor. As fluid reaches the edge of the disk it spins off, forming a neat band inside the part.

Watch this video for a visual of how a radial spinner precisely applies bands of fluid.

Here are a few more details about the application.

Fluid Used

Cyanoacrylate

Application Requirements

• Uniform 360° bead
• Create a complete seal
• Fluid must be applied to the top of the handle cap and must not drip to the bottom of the cap

Previous Process 

The fiberglass profile manufacturer previously used squeeze bottles to manually apply the cyanoacrylate to assemble 6,000 caps per day.

Issues with Previous Process

Applying the cyanoacrylate to 6,000 caps per day caused operator fatigue. It also led to inconsistent deposits. When operators applied too much super glue, it would drip to the bottom of the cap and cure. The cured glue would fall into the handle and rattle, indicating that something inside the handle was broken. This led to quality concerns.

Solution 

• Radial spinner valve system
• ValveMate™ 7160RA controller
• Optimum® dispensing components

Results

The compact size of this dispensing system makes it ideal for processes where fluid must be applied inside small cylinders or confined to specific locations without overspray. Its inert wetted parts make it compatible with a wide range of reactive fluids, such as cyanoacrylates and anaerobic adhesives.

Using the radial spinner system with the 752V-UHSS diaphragm valve created exceptionally accurate deposit consistency and a much more controlled 360° bead when compared to the manual method used before. The valve deposited a smaller, more consistent bead inside the cap as opposed to one side of the cap having more glue than the other. This reduced the amount of rework and rejects associated with the process and eliminated operator fatigue. This method also allowed cyanoacrylate to cure faster, which helped the company hit its daily quota faster.

If you have any questions or would like to speak with an experienced application specialist, don't hesitate to request expert help.

William Binkley

William Binkley is Nordson EFD's Latin America Sales Manager. He has 32 years' experience working for Nordson EFD in sales roles, including Product Application Specialist, among others. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Columbia College, Missouri.