Did you know: animal glue does not dry, it "closes". Let us explain...
There are three characteristics of animal glue (hide glue, cake glue) that should be considered when it comes to open time, and tack. We sat down with our Technical Sales Manager, Jeff Palmiter, to learn more about these glue terms.
A glue's open time is the time from when the glue is applied to when the glue closes. When a glue "closes" it is no longer able to bond substrates.
The speed of set for a glue formula is the time from when it is applied to when it is no longer mobile. This means the substrates are no longer able to move, but the glue has not fully “closed”.
Glue tack, or tack range development, is the “tack” from when the glue is applied to when it is no longer “sticky”, but has still not closed. This can also be measured by applying hot glue to your finger tip and pressing your finger and thumb together and then opening and closing your fingers to see how long it takes the glue to become stringy or “leggy”. Scientific, I know!
An example of tack development: Our product NW0139CR, developed for Emmeci high speed box making equipment, is clean (not stringing) at the application roller. Then, the glue develops tack (becomes more sticky) a few seconds down the line when the box is applied to the wrap.
Each LD Davis animal glue formula is designed to meet open time, set speed and tack development requirements for a variety of applications. Our technical team will review details of your application to determine which of our formulas would be the best fit for you.
Contact our team today to discuss your project or any technical questions you may have.
To learn more about these and other commonly used glue terms, check out our glue glossary.
