RAY-MELTER TANK MELTER

Tank melter for hot melt adhesives

Did you already know? The bonding performance of a lamination machine largely depends on its adhesive melter. It determines the adhesive quality, the application temperatures and the correct application quantities. But let’s take a closer look at the role of the hot melter in the laminating process.

Glue melters for hotmelts in film lamination

In foil lamination, special industrial adhesives are used to permanently bond the various materials together. What all these adhesives have in common is that they are hotmelt adhesives. This means that they are solid at room temperature and must be melted using special melting devices for adhesives, known as hot melters or glue machines, before processing.  This family includes EVA, polyolefin and, in particular, reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesives, which have established themselves in the wrapping of window profiles due to their high weather resistance.

Depending on the type, hot melt adhesives must be processed at specific temperatures, which is why glue melters play a key role in the laminating process. This is because incorrect processing of the hot melt can have serious consequences for the quality of the wrapping process:

• Insufficiently melted adhesives can still contain solid particles that become visible as dots under the decorative foil.
• Application temperatures that are too low or too high can have a negative impact on the viscosity of the hot melt adhesive and lead to fluctuating adhesive application quantities.
• If a hot melt adhesive is exposed to high temperatures for too long, it changes colour and becomes increasingly viscous, forming an adhesive skin until it can no longer be used.
• Reactive PUR hotmelt adhesives start their chemical cross-linking process in contact with air humidity. If the adhesive hardens in the melter, this can clog filters, pumps and hoses and lead to insufficient adhesive application quantities.

How can you prevent these problems?

In any case, it is worth investing in high-quality technologies that have been specially developed for profile lamination. They have functions that can solve most problems in advance. On the other hand, as with any industrial system, continuous cleaning and maintenance are essential to ensure a long and reliable service life of the device.

An intelligent melter for foil lamination

WPR has developed a new generation of hot melt melters that is compatible with all WPR laminating machines, but can also be fitted to older machines or machines from other manufacturers.

The major innovation is an integrated CPU that controls and monitors the most important parameters such as adhesive temperature, foil width, processing speed and adhesive application quantity. At the same time, it manages the system’s internal processes, data processing, set times, alarms and safety functions. All temperature zones can be regulated and all other settings made via an integrated touchscreen control panel. 

Even if the working speed of the system changes spontaneously, the hot melter controls the glue pump directly to ensure that the set adhesive application quantity is always maintained.

A signal light also informs the operator remotely about the status of the melter. From the warm-up phase to the correct working temperature, as well as any system faults, the operator is informed immediately, thus supporting co-operation between man and machine.

Designed for efficiency and performance

All melters for hotmelts in the RAY-MELTER series have been exclusively developed by WPR for wrapping applications and are also manufactured in-house. They can be equipped with one or two glue pumps in order to work on double-sided laminating machines or to ensure an even supply of adhesive to the wide slot nozzles on panel laminating lines.

The RAY-MELTER tank melter has a capacity of 35kg and can process 2kg and 20kg glue slugs. With a melting rate of 25kg/h (depending on the respective adhesive), it is one of the most powerful glue machines in profile lamination and enables high working speeds even with larger profile geometries. The major advantages of tank melters are the complete use of the inserted adhesive and continuous melting without interrupting production when refilling the adhesive. They are therefore particularly suitable for long production runs with large production volumes.

Thanks to the separate control of the multi-stage heating zones of the melter, the glue hose and the slot nozzle, the tank melter can be individually adjusted to the respective production requirements. The function timer, which can be used to pre-set the system’s working times, is particularly practical. In the morning, the melter can heat up the glue sufficiently in advance before starting work so that it is already at operating temperature when the operators arrive, and no time is lost. In the evening, the melter then automatically switches to energy-saving mode to save energy and protect the adhesive.

Hot melt adhesives are a valuable commodity

Hot melt adhesives can be damaged under unsuitable conditions in the hot melter and lead to problems in the laminating process, which in the worst case can result in customer complaints.

This is why the WPR tank melter is equipped with a ‘dry system’ as standard. This air-drying system pumps filtered dry air into the tank of the melter at regular intervals. This prevents premature cross-linking of the adhesive in the tank, significantly increasing its stability and usability. Thanks to the dry air system, even accelerated PUR hotmelt adhesives can remain in the tank for several days, eliminating the need to drain the adhesive and clean the glue tank. The tank melter also has pre-equipped connections for inert gas injection if you prefer to work with an inert gas such as nitrogen instead of compressed air.

The dry-air system also works thanks to the hermetic sealing of the entire adhesive tank. The lid and all of the tank’s elements are fitted with sealing rings so that no unwanted air can enter the system from outside.

In order to prevent the hot melt adhesive from overheating, so-called ‘boiling’, due to longer downtimes of the system, all hot melters in the RAY-MELTER series offer an ‘Eco-Mode’. To protect the adhesive, the temperature in the glue tank can be reduced to around 80°C if the profile wrapping system is idle for longer. This is particularly helpful during set-ups, during lunch breaks or during scheduled system stops. By lowering the operating temperature, the adhesive is protected and retains its original adhesive properties for longer.

Cleaning and maintenance

Regular cleaning and maintenance is part of every industrial plant in order to prevent problems during operation at a later date. This work is not usually a favourite, which is why WPR has designed the tank melter for hot melts so that cleaning and maintenance can be carried out quickly and easily.

The entire interior that comes into contact with the adhesive has a special non-stick coating. This means that the adhesive does not stick well and can be easily removed even when it is already cross-linked. The round design of the tank melter and the avoidance of ‘dead’ corners also help to prevent adhesive from sticking inside.

To clean the tank of the melter, the protective cover can simply be slid open, and the elements of the tank can be easily opened and closed without the need for tools thanks to quick-release fasteners.

The adhesive system is complemented by a fine-meshed filter that catches any impurities or hard adhesive particles before they find their way into the slot nozzle of the adhesive application on the decorative film. This filter can be easily removed to replace the filter mesh.

Easy installation on any kind of machine

Are you interested in a tank melter from the RAY-MELTER series? But you only have an older machine or possibly a line from another manufacturer? No problem, the RAY-MELTER tank melter is one of the best-selling hot melters for adhesives because it can be installed on almost all hotmelt machines.

Simply write to us using the contact form below and we will help you to integrate your new adhesive melter into your existing profile wrapping line.