Electrical + Electronics

One product manufactured by NEL required the bonding of a sensor onto an aluminium plate. The solution and process chosen to best achieve this was to dispense a 1mm diameter drop of LOCTITE^® 460 cyanoacrylate adhesive for each application.

The challenge facing NEL was the current manual process, which was highly inefficient. To avoid the adhesive spilling over the sensor or plate, NEL was administering the adhesive with a cocktail stick, a task required which required high co-ordination and was typically left to a single member of staff.

“This wasn’t ideal in terms of repeatability, accuracy and reliability, not least if that person wasn’t available.” explains Tom Henderson, director of NEL Technologies Ltd. “Ultimately, we wanted a system every operator could use, which would guarantee the expected result on every application.”

After visiting the company’s Newcastle-Upon-Tyne headquarters, LOCTITE^® engineer John McCafferty devised a bespoke system to ensure the accurate and precise control of adhesive flow, using automated application. This solution combines the LOCTITE^® Auto Reservoir, LOCTITE^® 300D Robot and LOCTITE^® EQ VA40 CA Volumetric Valve. Together, this guarantees that the perfect measure of LOCTITE^® 460 is applied every time. Alongside doubling production speeds, the method also reduces the amount of adhesive used, minimising wastage and scrapped product.

NEL, impressed by the LOCTITE^® automation process, has since bought a second system for a different application within the factory.  “We have a different product that requires a two part epoxy adhesive, and it was clear that John and his team could help us improve the application process there, too,” adds Tom. “I’d recommend that anybody struggling to optimise its industrial adhesive processes speak to LOCTITE^®, to find out if there’s an automated solution that can transform their operation.”