Hotmelt roller coaters
Hotmelt adhesives come in various types such as PSA, EVA / Polyolefin (thermoplastic adhesives) and PUR (reactive polyurethane). A diversity in adhesives for different applications. The roller coater machines can be equipped with rubber or steel rollers. Some materials which can be glued using hotmelt adhesives are: HPL, foam, aluminum, wood, steel, et cetera.
The glue strength directly after application by the roller coater is so high, that most materials can be pressed in-line by a roller press. This way, using a stack press can be avoided. Also, the absence of solvents or water in the adhesive prevents the bending of panels.
Especially for the flooring industry, Soest has a gluing line using polyurethane reactive (PUR) hot melt adhesive. Floorboards consisting of a solid top layer (usually oak) on a core (usually plywood). The core, provided with glue, is automatically stopped at an index station placed after the glue roller. This index station (roller transport) has stoppers to align the core both in length and width. The operator takes a top layer of the stack above the index station and places it on the bottom layer. Operation of a foot pedal transports the whole to a roller press. This consists of several heavy pressure rollers with pneumatic cylinders that press the whole firmly. The enormous adhesive strength of the glue ensures that the floorboards do not have to be pressed further into a stack.
