Message Thread:
Fast drying glue and Case Clamps
12/18/15
Good afternoon woodworkers! I am looking for the fastest drying glue on the market, for dowel construction case goods. We are looking to improve our assembly time in a high volume manufacturing facility. I am also curious as to what the best case clamp on the market is currently. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!
12/18/15 #2: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
What about an RF drier?
12/19/15 #3: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Website: http://www.maxprod.com
Brian,
Are you familiar with PUR adhesives? The go on like hot-melt, but give structural strength: wood/substrate breaks before the glue joint. You get handling strength in minutes with full strength over 24 hours.
For really high volume, you skip the clamps and couple this with a pneumatic press. I can help with the glue, but we don't sell larger equipment very much.
12/20/15 #4: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Glue dry time has nothing to do with the rate of case clamping! Best case clamping, greatly depends on your rate of production. Automated flow through via conveyor will do the most cases per day. Time in the clamp measured in seconds. Watch the videos of European kitchen cabinet manufacturers.
Our clamp time is determined by how long it takes us to get the next case ready to clamp. The clamped case is held square by the back being fastened around the edges and the nailers being fastened through the back & into the top stretcher.
The dowels are a snug fit and the glue quickly swells the panel fibers to lock tight enough for handling.
We use a laminar type clamp, Gannomat Concept 90, because we are a low volume manufacturer. Plugging a long @ 3 minutes per case you can do over 100 cases per day. An automated European line can do 1200 cases per day!
12/21/15 #5: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Thanks for the responses, I am interested in the PUR adhesive concept. How much time do you have between glue application and assembly time? I am looking for something I can glue up, put into a case clamp, unclamp within seconds, and have a structurally sound case good. We are a very large manufacturer and currently use a standard yellow wood glue, which has to sit for 20 minutes in clamped, assembled form before being unclamped and sent onto the finishing department. I am looking to eliminate as much of the 20 minute wait as possible. Thanks for the help!
12/21/15 #6: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Brian,
A PUR Hotmelt glue would allow you to do this in as fast as 30 seconds or so. Please let me know if I can send you specific information.
12/21/15 #7: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Jeff, I would love to learn more about this. Any info you have including glue delivery systems would be greatly appreciated. My email is stuckeyb@gunlocke.com. If a phone call would be easier I can be reached at (585) 991-8407. Thank you.
12/24/15 #8: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Website: http://www.hausmann.com
I agree 100% with Larry using any white glue and you can have the cabinet out of clamp in as much time as it takes to fasten on back. Never heard of clamping cabinet for 20 minutes. I would bet you will have tough time knocking cabinets apart after 5 minutes without damaging parts using white glue.
12/29/15 #9: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
One way you can speed up production with out changing glue is by the way you unload the box from the clamp. I've seen companies clamp for only 1-3 min because they slide the box off without lifting it and putting strain on the joints. This usually involves staples and hot melt as well. If you're looking for times fast then that, I would look to getting another clamp.
In my opinion, Gannomat case clamps are the best on the market. They have a top and bottom spindle instead of rails on the bottom which makes them last longer.
12/29/15 #10: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
"We are a very large manufacturer and currently use a standard yellow wood glue, which has to sit for 20 minutes in clamped" Why? Something is very wrong with your operation.
If you are a very large manufacturer, you need to put in a flow through automatic clamp. Knock the cases together, slide them onto the infeed powered conveyor. The clamp will automatically clamp them to the preset pressure, hold for a few seconds, open & convey them to the next station.
If you believe that 20 minute thing, you are telling me we've been doing it wrong for years.
Zack, yes, we slide cases out, but they only sit on the outfeed bench until the next case comes out, 3 minutes+-. Plenty of time to put shelves in, snap door on, put drawer in, adjust drawer front and install hardware. No staples etc. needed. Many cases will be finished end!
"They have a top and bottom spindle instead of rails on the bottom which makes them last longer". I don't know what "spindles" are on a Gannomat? Please explain.
I've got 2 Gannomats. One has movable cross supports on beams, air cylinder clamping. The other has spring loaded rollers on the deck and electric screw clamping. Air floatation is available as an option.
I think the hot urethane would not speed things at all. We've got 2 of the 3M PUR hotmelt guns. You have to deal with the warm up time, cleaning issues, preheat container, expensive glue. Great for some things but there are other well worked out solutions to case clamping.
Try this: at your bore & insert machine try to pull some of the dowels out after 3 minutes.
12/30/15 #11: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Just like the one you have, the newer Gannomat clamps run on "electric screw" aka spindles. Instead of them using a brass rail on the bottom to guide the vertical beam, it has a spindle that is syncronized with the one on top. Just like the two that drive the horizontal beam up and down.
If you use a brass rail to guide the bottom of the vertical beam back and forth two things happen. One, you don't get the exact same pressure across the entire beam as when you have the top and bottom spindle. Two, the brass rail wears down much quicker which makes the beam out of plumb when it clamps. Then you get boxes with joints that aren't at a right angle.
Having the two spindles make the clamp last a lot longer. Hopefully I explained that correctly.
12/30/15 #12: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
The reason for the lengthy dry time is the amount of time/length the unit travels after they are clamped is extensive. Our finishing process can take up to two days all while traveling on miles of conveyer. The 20 minute dry time (yellow wood glue) ensures there will be zero joints that will open up. We allow no gaps at all, so the smallest joint failure would cause rework. As you eluded to, these do not come apart once they are clamped.
12/30/15 #13: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
High Volume and 20 minute clamp times don't compute. Neither does spending two days to finish a box. Very poor plant layout if miles of conveyor are needed to get a box to shipping. Properly done a doweled case, clamped 3 minutes does not open in the joints. I wouldn't normally recommend an industry consultant but you guys are in desperate need. Maybe something as simple as having a representative from Gannomat, Homag, Biesse, SCM come and offer solutions. Not a machinery salesman!
3/24/16 #14: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Website: en.height-led.com
I think the UV glue may be a good choice. UV glue could be cured by UV light in 1s. would you be interest in it, send me email: kanesun@foxmail.com
3/25/16 #15: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
How do you get UV light in the joint? If it cures in one second you can't expose it and then assemble & clamp!
3/25/16 #16: Fast drying glue and Case Clamps ...
Good point Larry, I can hardly wait for the answer.
Mark
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