Adhesive issues and challenges happen to the best of us, despite our best attempts to try and avoid them. You trust in your adhesives to help you get your job done, but sometimes circumstances arise to create problems with your product or packaging appearance. Here are the most common adhesive misconceptions when it comes to boxes popping open, what causes them, and how you can fix them.
1. The more glue, the better the bond will be
You may think that the more glue you apply, the better and stronger your product will be; however, adding too much glue can:
- Cause warping
- Prolong dry time, therefore increasing the likelihood of package/seal shifting before the bond is created
- Create excessive squeeze-out
- Increase costs
Adding more glue does not necessarily add strength.
Consult your adhesive representative or equipment manufacturer to determine the correct MIL thickness of adhesive that you should be applying. Chances are, less is more!
2. Any adhesive will do
When it comes to adhesives, one size does not fit all.
There is good reason why adhesive manufacturers tend to have literally hundreds, if not thousands, of different formulations.
What kinds of things determine what adhesive you should be using?
- Substrates – What exactly are you gluing?
- What kind of equipment do you have?
- How quickly does the glue need to ‘set up’?
- How much ‘open time’ does the adhesive need to have?
- Temperature requirements of your finished product – Will it be frozen or kept at room temperature?
- Dismissing individual environmental or job-related variables, such as temperature, humidity, and substrate absorbency.
3. Glue is working on some flaps, but not all. The glue must be bad!
We hear this complaint a lot when we are called in to investigate issues with adhesives. The most common complaint is that some flaps seal with no issues while others simply pop open. Unfortunately, glues are not intelligent… They can’t decide on their own to work properly on some boxes and not on others.
The most common reasons your flaps are popping open are:
- Inconsistent compression or no compression. The glues pieces need to be held against one another long enough for the adhesive to bond.
- Adhesive is too cold. In the case of hot melt, if the adhesive is colder than recommended by the manufacturer, the adhesive can set prematurely.
- Different substrate. It is possible that the odd box that does not remain shut could have a different substrate (different lot).
Lastly, if you are still having issues with your boxes popping open, consult a Bond Tech representative so we can assess the issue.
Have questions about adhesive misconceptions?
If you still have questions or concerns regarding your adhesives, contact us to speak with an expert. We’re always happy to help!
