On the Surface, Pre-formed Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Deliver Results That Stick
By Will Cannon, Industrial National Accounts Manager for Glue Dots International
Both pre-formed Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs) and traditional hot melt glues have beneficial attributes dependent on the surface application and the environment in which it is applied and stored. For deep penetration of a surface, some packaging operations prefer to use hot melt to secure product packaging made from heavy-duty materials. However, traditional hot melt isn’t always the best option for securing packaging.
Hot melt, which is typically applied at 250 to 350 F, can cause serious injuries. According to a 2016 report from American Burn Association data on burn incident treatment in the U.S., scalding or thermal burns accounted for 34 percent of all burn types – second only to flame burns (43 percent). Of all burn center admissions, occupational burns numbered 8 percent. Although specific data related to workplace thermal burns does not appear to be collected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workplace burns are a real risk.
For packaging companies that use hot melt, a large portion of employee training time can be spent on burn prevention and learning how to maintain the equipment used for hot melt application. If an accident occurs, the costs associated with worker’s compensation claims and lost labor time can add up.