Increase productivity by using fast wood adhesives

Wait times and long technological processes are problems that every manufacturer wants to solve. Long waiting times for a production step to be completed decrease productivity and reduce the efficiency of the production flow. When solid wood panels or pieces of furniture are glued together, it takes time to wait until the glue is strong enough to withstand the trials of the next production step. Manufacturers are looking for solutions to shorten this time, but without the adhesive losing strength. Szolvegy, the manufacturer and distributor of TISZABOND adhesives, is constantly looking for the best solutions to make its partners more productive and efficient. This time we will talk about two adhesives with reduced curing time.

How a shorter reaction time adhesive behaves

Before presenting the two adhesives, let's see how the curing process takes place in the case of aracite adhesives. Arack or PVA adhesives, as they are also called, are aqueous dispersions. This means that the molecules of the reactive adhesive are in an aqueous solution, far enough apart so that they do not come into contact and react. Once the adhesive is applied to the wood, certain factors intervene to reduce the amount of water. This causes the molecules to come together and react to form the adhesive film. The reaction is polymerization and like any reaction of this type, it takes time to reach full capacity.

The interest in the case of reducing the reaction time in aracetites is that the reaction proceeds in such a way that, even if the completion of the reaction takes several days, a degree of polymerization is reached as quickly as possible, which gives strength to the bonding, and the technological process can continue without the danger of the bonding coming apart.

I have made all this introduction in order to understand that it is not enough to increase the evaporation rate of water or to apply more pressure to speed up bonding. The adhesive must be formulated in such a way as to achieve a very good breaking strength in the shortest possible time. By increasing the evaporation rate of the water, the adhesive molecules get closer together and begin to react, but if they are not formulated to react to form strong networks quickly, even though the adhesive will appear dry, it will not have the strength required. You will have to wait the time recommended by the manufacturer to reach the strength to allow safe processing.

Rapid adhesive for interior use for resinous wood

An adhesive specifically designed to react quickly and achieve a good breaking strength value in a short time is TISZABOND 2150 D2 (Express Wood). It is an indoor adhesive (D2) which is not recommended for gluing wood that will stand in damp environments (bathroom, kitchen). It glues resinous and less hard hard hardwood (lime, poplar) quickly and well. Can be used for finger-jointing furniture or for gluing in high-frequency presses. For hard wood (oak, beech, ash) the manufacturer recommends TISZABOND 2100 (Special Wood) adhesive which develops a very high strength film.

The breaking strength of parts bonded with this adhesive is min. 10 N/mm². It is reached at least 24 hours after bonding. But after 2.5 minutes in the press, the breaking strength reaches 3.3 N/mm², and after 5 minutes in the press, the breaking strength reaches 4.5 N/mm². The bonding strength is high enough to safely withstand the processing required by the technological flow.

With such adhesives the open setting time is reduced. You have to work faster and take care that the adhesive does not stick to the glue, as this will result in poor bonding properties. In the case of TISZABOND 2150 D2 the open tack time is 5 minutes.

Moisture resistant fast adhesive

TISZABOND 3200 (D3 Express) is a fast-setting adhesive that can be used for bonding structures that will stand in high humidity environments or will be in contact with water for a short period of time, as well as those that stand outdoors in moderate climates. It is also used for bonding wood to other materials such as gluing wood steps to concrete stairs or installing windows and doors. It is not used for structures and objects in prolonged contact with water (boats, ships) or in the manufacture of structural elements that support heavy loads over long periods. The adhesive is also frost resistant, but after a few freeze-thaw cycles it turns to a gel and can no longer be used.

The adhesive is fast and reaches the required strength for further processing in a short time. However, it should not be used in a damp environment for more than 7 days, as the strength decreases considerably. In this case too, the setting time is short, after 5 minutes the adhesive layer on the wood is already tacky.

If you want an adhesive that reacts quickly and you want to be able to increase productivity by reducing working times, it is a good idea to ask your adhesive supplier. You can find solutions to speed up drying, but you may not get good bond strength. Call in the specialists, they can give you the perfect solution for your type of production.