BLOG POST

Understanding Automated Dispensing Solutions of Adhesives

The dispensing of adhesives during manufacturing is an important step in the production process. Understanding which dispensing method is suitable for your product application is crucial to enabling the most effective output.

Whilst manual adhesive dispensing, such as dispensing guns, may still be beneficial for certain applications, this is reliant of the competence of the worker as well as the quality of the manual dispensing equipment. Therefore, automated dispensing is carving a path forward.

Automated adhesive dispensing

Automated adhesive dispensing systems utilize automation, and oftentimes robotics, to carry out the application of an adhesive. This automated assembly process provides many benefits, such as increased efficiency.

Automated adhesive dispensing systems also provide far higher precision than manual application, in turn making the quality of the product greater and as such eliminating product waste caused by manufacturing defects. Due to the automated processes using a precise amount of material when dispensing, this also reduces consumable costs, providing cost benefits as well.

Other key advantages of automated dispensing include:

• Increased production rates, alongside lower costs per output
• Patterns can be programmed into the dispensing equipment to suit the product requirement
• Industry 4.0 means that manufacturers can link processes and enable streamlined workflows and centralized system networks

Of course, there are also different types of automated dispensing methods suitable for different applications. When it comes to electronic components, a glue dispenser attached to a robotic arm is useful for joining parts. Indeed, the miniaturization of electronics requires higher precision dispensing in technology manufacturing, making automated systems and robotics particularly beneficial for this industry.

Robotic arms for dispensing are also useful for the automotive industry, where the robot has the ability to navigate across a complex surface.

Other types of automated adhesive dispensing systems include the use of a robotic clamp during adhesive bonding, and the use of integrated dispensing systems for connecting surfaces such as electronic circuit boards, which have an even surface.  

Drawbacks of automated dispensing

Despite the outlined benefits, there are some drawbacks to automated adhesive dispensing.

One key challenge is quality control. Though technology continues to make significant leaps and bounds, there are still some things that the human eye can detect better than machinery. Defects in adhesive application such as bubbles cannot always be detected as effectively by machinery as they can be by a person’s vision, and therefore automated dispensing cannot guarantee product quality control.

Programming limitations in automated systems also mean that when it comes to an application with more complex requirements, such as connecting multiple parts, manual adhesion can be faster and more reliable.

Considerations of the end-user

When it comes to selecting the right adhesive dispensing solution, there is not always a one size fits all approach, and there may be trade-offs which will need to be made in order to yield the best result.

Automation is proven to be an effective solution to the dispensing of adhesives within the manufacturing process across a variety of industries. In order to understand which is the best solution for those seeking adhesive dispensing solutions, the following should be considered:

• Which dispensing equipment option will ensure process efficiency?
• What are the material specifications of the adhesive and what is the most cost-effective dispensing solution to suite this?
• Is the dispensing system available directly from their adhesive supplier, or should they seek a third-party provider?