Adhesives Trouble Shooting:

Trouble shooting first evaluates the potential of an existing commercial adhesive to perform as required. If deficient, the next step is to alter the way it is used or to replace it by another. If replacement is concluded, then market shelf adhesives are searched for suitable candidates. Examples of search criteria are specific adhesion (substrate affinity) cure speed viscosity, peel, shear, loop tack, cure method, durability, and a host of others, including compliance with codes and standards. Routine screening tests are done according to standard methods from organizations such as ASTM, PSTC, Ford, GM, BMS, EN. EDH also performs some uncommon adhesive tests such as BS 5609 for marine self adhesive shipping labels.

An exhaustive search - test for commercial candidates is occasionally unsuccessful or more costly than custom formulating to specifications and arranging local toll manufacturing. A toll manufacturer often works under a nondisclosure agreement with the client.

Proven formulations emerge from the trouble shooting process. Past examples include adhesives for aerospace composites, sports equipment, electronics, marine, and veneer to metal gluing. Difficult, low energy surfaces such as polyolefin, PVC, or EPDM rubber were bonded to resist temperature extremes, weathering, or harsh chemical environments. Other examples include novel rad cure, room temperature adhesives, structural wood LVL adhesive, and adhesive synthetic patch material for plywood.

 

Source Search and Adhesives Selection:

EDH Technical Services adhesives consultants locate specialized adhesives in a comprehensive, world wide search and evaluation, insuring recommended products meet a client’s exact requirements. Examples of productivity payback are reductions in labor, cure cycle time, waste, or reject rate. Contract out-source review of adhesive procurement is offered by EDH. An impartial ranking of candidate suppliers is made, based on adhesive technical merit, standards compliance, supplier reliability, service support, and cost. Considerations of all factors in cost effective adhesive procurement are made, and a conclusive report is delivered. Recommendations are made congruent with ISO quality systems and corporate best practices procedures.
  

Legal Expert Witness & Litigation Support:

Communication skills are drawn from experience in explaining concepts of adhesives, statistical replication, significance, and error to lay managers and workers in manufacturing industries. Technical support has been provided for both plaintiff and defense in adhesive failure cases. Technical support has been provided to several attorneys in wood adhesive failure cases.

EDH experience examining patents and proposals can expose published literature, prior art or practice that can affect patent value. EDH and university affiliate laboratory facilities are used for adhesive identification, or physical and chemical analysis.
 
  

Examples of structural adhesive types source searched, assessed, or formulated by EDH are:

Hot melt adhesive types offered by EDH in adhesive research and consulting:

• Trouble shooting industrial wood adhesives used in composites, laminates, components, furniture, construction, and building materials
  
• Hot press and cold press plywood, LVL, and veneer adhesives are formulated
  
• New adhesive proposals assessed, independent adhesives due diligence reviews on industrial wood adhesives
  
• New wood species assessment, evaluate the affect of new species in LVL, plywood, OSB,
  particleboard, or MDF, -- important examples are eucalyptus and bamboo plantation species
  
• High speed and high moisture adhesives for laminated timber, glulam, LVL, plywood, and finger jointing
  
• Catalyzed isocyanate multi-component PMDI adhesives are formulated by Adhesive Experts for spinning disk application in fast press oriented strand board
  
• Covert adhesive cation ID marker systems are provided for OSB, plywood, MDF and particleboard products
  
• Structural plywood adhesives are formulated for bamboo, eucalyptus or other tropical plantation species
  
• Qualifications of new wood products are provided for ICC evaluation reports
  
• Special wood adhesives for tropical woods or wood to polyethylene and metals
  
• Fire retardant and preserved wood treatments
  
• Sealants, surface sizes, and synthetic patch compounds for wood veneers, OSB primer sealers
  
• Wood moisture measurement, instrumentation (moisture meter species calibration) and software
  
• Wood veneer drying, throughput improvement, emission control, VOC reduction
  
• OSB and particle board resin distribution and optimization, spectrophotometric measurement
  
• Productivity and cost control in the pressing stage of wood gluing
  
• Continuous lamination of film & sheet materials to wood e.g. PVC, polyethylene, polyester, metal foils
  
• Environmentally upgraded adhesives:
  - Low VOC, low toxicity, and renewable resource formulations
  - In door atmospheric emission surveys for isocyanate and formaldehyde levels
  - Recycle and regrind binder adhesives for particulate wastes

 EDH TECHNICAL SERVICES LTD.                                              ADHESIVE EXPERTS / ADHESIVES CONSULTANTS